Delicate
by Love.Peace.Dramione.Inc
Summary: Hermione's a train wreck and she's taking her life for granted. Can anyone save her from Harry, or more importantly, can anyone save her from herself? Reviews are loved and welcomed!
1. Save Me

**Author's Note: I don't own anything except maybe any original characters. **

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**Chapter One: Save Me**

She stumbled into the alleyway between The Hog's Head and Dervish & Banges, bruises visibly covering her arms as well as the ones in shape of finger prints on her neck. Hermione was feeling weak but she didn't want to have complete strangers who walked past to see her weakness. The tears were welling in her chestnut eyes but she just looked away from the people who were walking past the alley and swallowed hard as she thought back to how she got here.  
_"You're a slag! What you do is dangerous and promiscuous! Can't you see that?"  
"It's my job! It's how I earn a living, and if you don't like that then you can go to hell!" SMACK!  
"I will not have some whore for a daughter! You are a disgrace upon me and your mum! Get out!"  
"B-But father –"  
"GET OUT!"  
He grabbed her arms firmly and just about dragged her out of the house before throwing her into the street before slamming the door in her face._

That had been about three days ago and she hadn't found anything to eat since. She wasn't the most respectful woman in town and because of this; she tried to keep herself on a low profile. She felt herself withering away and dizziness overcame her with a fierce blow. She tried to catch her breath, holding onto a loose brick in the alley but she fell to the ground. Having no energy to pick herself up, she remained there and closed her eyes, feeling very tired.

"Miss? Miss, are you all right?"  
A faint voice intruded into her mind and fearing it was a policeman, she forced herself to open her eyes. She felt herself relax when she realized it was someone whom she recognized but then instantly felt ashamed. She searched his emerald eyes and felt her breath hitch, almost beginning to feel panicked.

"W-Why do you care if I'm alright or not?"

He searched her dirty face and then gently pushed her grungy hair back behind her shoulder and rested his eyes on the bruises on her neck. He bit his lip and cleared his throat, feeling his protective side kick in.

"Who did this to you, Granger?"

She casted her eyes downwards and bit her own lip hard. "No one."

Hermione felt herself surprised at how he was being so caring of her and then reminded herself who was holding her still. She felt bitter and she felt angry at herself that Draco Malfoy, of all people, had to find her like this, in such low conditions.

"Come on, I'm taking you home with me."

At this, she started to struggle from his arms to get her feet back on the ground but he held onto her tightly.

"N-No! No! Let me go! I can't go home with you!"

Draco looked at her curiously and set her back on her feet gently. "And why not…?"

"I-I have to earn my money. I have a job. You can't just… just take me back to

your place…"

"I'm trying to help you! What exactly is your job? Working on the street? That's hardly a job! That's a death wish."

"It's my life. I don't have any other choices like you do, Draco! Now go!"

He shook his head and sighed heavily. "You do have a choice. And this isn't one of them. Please… let me take you home. Let me take care of you."

She felt tears fill her eyes now and she shook her head as she swallowed back a sob. The sound of hearing someone wanting to take care of her and help her was all too inviting.

"I don't need your help! Now go! Please!"

"Alright, fine. I'll go, but… I want you to come to me when you're ready to stop being so stubborn."

Draco scribbled on a small piece of paper and handed it to her. She hesitantly took it and looked at the address before she stuffed it in her dirtied jeans' pocket and just nodded to him, glancing back at the ground.

She waited until he left before she tried to straighten herself up some in an attempt to get a potential customer. Hermione knew what she was doing was dangerous, but she had no other way to get money, and money was what she needed.

"Why, hello there, miss. Are you doing business?"

Hermione looked up and felt her stomach drop when she saw someone she knew from her past. She felt her stomach knot up and she bit her lip.

"Harry… w-what are you doing here?"

He smirked now at the mention of his name and then walked closer to her. "I'm just looking for some fun. Are you open for business?"

She didn't like the look in his eyes in the least, and the sound of his voice told her he had just been at the bar. As the moon lit up the sky, she could see Harry's bloodshot eyes and a chill ran through her.

"Get lost… you've been drinking…"

Harry walked towards her until he had her cornered against the back of the alley. He gripped her arm on top of the bruises and then shoved her against the wall of the Hog's Head. Hermione felt her breathing increase as her heart raced with fear now.

"Stop it! HELP! Someone please help me!"

Harry put his other hand over her mouth now, as he released her arm and then started to unbutton her pants. She whimpered against his rough hand and felt tears run down her face when she felt his other hand on top of her underwear.

"No one's going to help a slag… you're in the wrong type of business to be helped… Now you're going to give me what I want."

Hermione felt adrenaline kick in as she felt his fingers slip under her underwear as she suddenly kneed him in his groin as hard as she could. She saw him buckle and groan and took this opportunity to run from him, looking for a safe place to go. She didn't think to apparate and she didn't take the time to get the piece of paper out of her pocket. She heard his footsteps behind her as he ran after her.

"Get back here, Mia! You owe me!"

Hermione tried to block his voice as she ran and ran, not even looking what building she was running into. She heard loud music but continued to run. She smelled perfume, cologne, and alcohol and realized that she was now in a crowd of people. She looked back and could no longer see Harry. She relaxed slightly and was about to turn around when she felt someone's arms wrap around her.

"Mia! Did you really think you could beat me? I should really beat you though… teach you a lesson your daddy should've taught you…"

"Stop it! Let go of me!" Hermione yelled as loud as she could.

"Oh, Mia… you shouldn't have run away. I just want to treat you good…"

Hermione elbowed him and started to run again when he suddenly grabbed her arm, brought her back and then slapped her so hard he knocked her on the ground. She whimpered and then turned around, looking up to see Harry bringing his hand back once again and prepared for the hit when suddenly, she saw someone grab his arm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I don't care how drunk you are, you don't hit a woman, pal! Get the hell out of my club!"

Harry tongued his cheek now, ripping his arm out of the man's grip before he backed out of the club, watching Hermione the entire time. She looked up at the stranger and was afraid that he'd kick her out too.

"I-I'm sorry… I- I didn't mean to bring h-him in here! I just didn't k-know where else to go…"

She watched as he crouched down to meet her eye level and then almost nervously glanced at all of her bruises.

"Shh…it's alright. You're safe now. You're safe here. My name is Blaise, but… I think you already know me. Do you remember me?"

His calming voice soothed her and she nodded quickly. "Y-Yes… I remember you…"

"Come on, Hermione. Let's get you cleaned up," He offered, extending his hand to her. As she took it, she instantly felt safety and helped him help her back on her feet.

They walked towards the back of the club and Blaise took her to his office, which had papers cluttering the top of his desk. She didn't mind though. She sat down on the brown leather couch and took a deep breath, trying to get rid of her flight mode.

He grabbed his wand and slowly waved it over her arms, making the bruises gradually disappear. He set his wand back down and then sat down beside her and was silent, as if he as deciding what to do next.

"Umm… you're… you're welcome to use the shower in the back here. Sometimes, I sleep here when I don't want to go home," he chuckled softly.

"Thank y-you. I think I will…"

"Oh, and… I can get you some clothes too, if you wish. Do you have any preferences?"

Hermione searched his blue eyes and shook her head. "No, not really…"

Blaise nodded and was quiet for awhile, looking at his office phone. "I'm going to make a phone call and then I'll grab your clothes for you while you go take a shower. Does that sound okay?"

Hermione wasn't used to having choices so she habitually nodded, fearful if she said no, she'd get hurt. She stood up with him and followed him to the back of his office. There was a small mattress on the floor and across from that there was a bathroom.

"There you go. I'll get you your clothes first and then I'll make the call. So… I'll let you alone now and I'll be back."

Blaise disappeared out of his office and went back into the club area. Hermione looked around before she stripped off her clothes and then stepped into the shower before closing the glass door. Her legs felt weak from malnutrition but the hot water felt so good on her skin. She grabbed his bottle of body wash and squeezed a small amount of it in her hand before started to clean herself and rinse off all the dirt.

She heard the door open about five minutes later and tensed up at first, weary that maybe it wasn't Blaise, but then relaxed when she heard his voice.

"Hey… umm… I found some clean clothes for you. I'm not… sure how they're going to fit you, but… I have everything you need here. I'll just set them on the sink."

"Thank you, Blaise."

He nodded but then realized she couldn't see him. He glanced down at the floor and then saw her pants and something white peeking out of them. He kneeled down silently and pulled out the small baggie that he had seen. He felt his heart sink when Blaise saw what the pills were. He recognized them all too well. He bit his lip and put the baggie back into her pants pocket before he stood up.

"I'm going to go make that phone call now. Take your time."

She waited until she heard the door close when she opened the door to the shower and placed the towel around her body before walking towards the clothes he had found for her. Clean underwear, a clean, long sleeve shirt as well as jeans, and a grey sweatshirt that appeared to be far too large for her. She put the clothes on, put Draco's paper as well as her pills in the new jeans, and looked in the bathroom mirror at a face she hardly recognized anymore.

She waved her hand, instantly drying her now clean hair and then started towards the door. She walked out and started back towards his office and she had gotten to the other door when she heard him talking to someone on the phone. She placed her hand on the doorknob, placing her ear against the door.

"I don't know what to do here, man! You need to take her! No, I know… but she's not going to learn this way… you need to come pick her up. She'll be safer with you over there!"

Hermione's eyebrows came together in confusion, wondering who he was talking to. He was going to pawn her off on someone else…

Blaise sighed. "Yeah, no… I understand. But I can't be held responsible to what happens to her here! I can't protect her all the time!"

Hermione backed away from the door as she heard him hang up and then slowly opened the door. "Hey… umm… thank you for… for everything, Blaise. I really appreciate it…"

He nodded in response and ran his hand through his black hair. "Yeah, no problem. God, you look starved. You need some food in you. Come on, let's go to the Three Broomsticks…"

Hermione remembered the words Blaise told whoever on the phone and felt guilty. "No… i-it's alright. Umm… I'll be alright. I think I should… I should just leave…"

Realization came into Blaise's eyes now and he cursed to himself. "Shit… you heard everything, didn't you?"

"I don't want to be a burden to you, Blaise. You saved me from Harry, let me shower and gave me clean clothes… and that's more than I could ever ask for. I'm… I'm just going to go."

"Please don't leave, Hermione. It's not safe out there. He's still out there and as long as you're in here, I can protect you! You don't deserve to be treated like you have. You're a good person and bad things have happened to you. It's not your fault, though. Things can change."

"No, not for me, Blaise. Things can't change for me. Can you just… answer me a question before I leave?"

Blaise sighed but nodded. "Of course."

"Who did you want to take me off your hands? W-Who did you tell to come and pick me up?"

"I can't tell you, Hermione. I want to, but I've been sworn not to. Give me another question."

She searched his eyes now, almost feeling regretful of saying she had to leave. "W-Why didn't you take my pills? I know that you looked through my pants."

"Because they're yours, and… I can protect you from certain things, but I can't protect you from everything. If you want to take those pills, you'll find a way to get them. Just promise me one thing?"

Hermione looked up and gripped the insides of her sweatshirt sleeves.

"Please be careful. You don't need those pills. You're beautiful… and you need to eat."

"I-I want to eat, but I can't afford to."

Blaise slowly walked towards her and pulled out a wad of cash. He pulled out two twenty dollar bills and handed them to her. "Take it."

Hermione shook her head and stepped back. "I-I can't, Blaise. I'm not going to take your guilt money. I don't need your pity."

"Take it! Please! For the love of God… you need food or you're going to starve to death!"

Hermione grabbed the money quickly now and then stormed out of the club, hating herself for letting him help her now. She didn't need his charity. She didn't need his money. She walked quickly down the sidewalk and realized that most of the lights had turned off and darkness was surrounding her. She stopped now and looked around, feeling eyes watching her.

She stood there for several moments, her breathing becoming shallower and started walking again. She walked fast¸ and then heard the sound of running after her. She started to run now and didn't realize she had run into total darkness until it was too late. She heard laughter and snickering all around her but couldn't see anyone. She backed up and then suddenly felt something hard her in the head. She could only guess what it was but suddenly she felt dizzy and fell to the ground, feeling warm liquid coming out of the back of her head.

"I told you, Mia… you can't run from me," came a dark, familiar voice. She suddenly felt nauseous, knowing who it was.

"W-Why… why are y-you doing this….?"

"Well, you literally cock-blocked me so I think I have good reason for doing this."

She suddenly felt something sharp go into her hand and she screamed in pain, unable to see what it was, and that being the worst fear of all. The pain was hot, and sharp and felt like a thousand razorblades cutting her skin at once.

"Now, now.. no need for that."

She felt the pain ease just a little but she couldn't move her hand. She sobbed violently, in fear and in pain. Suddenly she felt a force hit another force and heard a lot of groaning and screaming around her. She felt the ground, trying to stand up but had no idea what was going on.

She heard a sickening crack and then running before she suddenly felt arms wrap around her from the front. Thinking it was Harry, she cried and yelled as she tried to fight him but then felt the arms tighten around her protectively, and a soft voice in her ear.

"Shhh… it's alright, Granger. It's just me… it's only me. You're okay…"

She felt herself relax in his arms but felt her legs give out from underneath her, and became grateful he was still holding her. "I-I'm sorry… p-please… I-I'm sorry…"

Hermione felt him easily pick her up and carry her in his arms now as he started walking. She held him tightly, breathing in his smell. It somehow calmed her in a bizarre way, but she still cried into his shoulder. He whispered gentle words into her ears as he walked up the stairs and turned on some lights before walking into an apartment. She had stopped crying now and was hiccupping slightly.

"You're safe. We're here and you're safe now."

Hermione held onto him until he laid her down on the comfortable couch and crouched down beside her, gently placing his cool hand on her hot forehead.

"I'm going to heal your head first, okay?"

She nodded but then winced, having forgotten about Harry knocking her in the head. She felt Draco put his hand behind her head where it hurt and heard him whisper a spell. Slowly, the pain began to disappear and now it was all focused on the pain in her hand but she was in so much shock that she barely felt it at all.

"Okay, I need to heal your hand now but I need some things first." Draco stood up to go get it but Hermione quickly grabbed out to him, catching his arm.

"Please… please don't leave me… please…"

Draco bit his lip, maybe not realizing how scared she really was. He kneeled back down, unhooked himself from her and then ran his fingers through her hair softly. "It's okay. It's alright, Granger. I'm just going to go to the bathroom to get the supplies and I'll be right back. I promise. I locked the door, and no one can apparate into this place except me. Okay?"

Hermione whimpered but nodded reluctantly and watched as he went to go get the medical supplies. She sat up and looked around the apartment as she waited, taking in the largeness of the rooms and saw that he had, in fact, locked the door. She looked at the clock on the wall, willing him to hurry. Almost on cue, he came back with bandages, and other types of first aid. He sat down beside her and gently took her hand. She seemed to notice it for the first time and saw there was a somewhat large amount of blood coming from the palm of her hand where Harry had knifed her. She swallowed hard and then looked down.

"I need you to drink this first. It's a numbing solution while I go to work on it…"

Hermione gently took the vial that had a blue liquid in it and then swallowed it easily, instantly feeling it numb her hand. Out of curiosity, she started to watch him begin to heal her hand. Draco said a healing spell under his breath and it didn't look any different. He grabbed the bandage and started to wrap it around the wound and tore it off when there was enough to control the bleeding.

"T-Thank you…"

He smiled weakly up at her. "No problem. I'm glad I got there in time."

She nodded and looked down. "Y-Yeah, me too… h-how did you find me? Why were… you there?"

"Well, Blaise called me. He told me that you had left so… I went to go find you. I was worried that you would get hurt and I know that Potter wasn't going to give up on trying to hurt you. I couldn't just leave you there."

Hermione sighed and then looked away. "Blaise was talking to you on the phone, wasn't he?"

She saw guilt touch his eyes now and nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry, Granger. I knew that if he told you that he had called me, then you wouldn't let me come get you."

Hermione nodded and smiled back weakly. "Well, you were right. But I ran away anyway."

Draco searched her broken eyes. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Because I'm stupid, and stubborn, and… I don't deserve any help that anyone gives me."

"You do, Granger. And you are not any of those things. Well, you're stubborn, yeah, but… you're wild. Wild things shouldn't be confined."

Hermione looked down at her hand and then brought her legs into her chest, fear filling her up again. "I'm scared."

Draco wrapped his arm around her shoulders casually and gently made her lean into him, her head now resting on his chest. "I know you are. But I'm not going to let anyone or anything hurt you. You're better than the lifestyle you live. You're better than Potter. You're safe here. As long as you're here, you're safe."

Hermione felt his arm around her but didn't mind. She welcomed it right now. Her eyes felt tired, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. At least not for long. She remained leaning against Draco, letting his soft, gentle words seep through her until she felt his breathing even out and his words cease.

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**Review please! Let me know what you think! **


	2. Alone

**Author's Note: Don't own.**

**Ica: yes, you definitely were my first reviewer! Thank you for actually doing so. I live in reviews and it keeps me going with the story :) I hope to answer your questions in my fanfic! I'm pretty much just thinking of things as I go along. I hope you keep reviewing my chapters! I'm glad you're finding it interesting so far! **

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**Chapter Two: Alone**

Draco woke up to see Hermione still awake as she leaned against him tiredly. He watched as her eyes were about to close and she instantly forced them open again. It pained him to see her like this, too scared to sleep, and just about skin and bones. Her weight against him felt like practically nothing at all.

"Granger… come on, you need to sleep."

She looked up at him as Draco repositioned himself on the couch so she had space to lie down. There was silence between them and Hermione felt a familiar dizziness overcome her suddenly. She didn't know it was from not eating or from not sleeping, but she was too afraid to do either right now.

"I… don't want to…" her voice replied faintly.

Draco sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair. He looked at her now and took out his phone and a piece of paper. "Is there anyone who can watch over you?"

This shook Hermione out of her wave of dizziness and distortion. "Why… can't you watch over me?"

"Because… I just can't. I don't need to justify my reasons."

She stood up now weakly, feeling her chest tightening painfully. "No! Y-You promised I was safe here… you promised that you'd keep me safe! Why did that change?"

Draco also stood up now, feeling defensive at her outburst. "Because your family should be looking after you! Not me! You barely know me! What am I to you? I'm practically a stranger that you happened to see again on the street! It's like we're close friends or anything. You need your family!"

"I don't have aWhat am I to you? I'm practically a stranger that you happened to see again on the street! It's like we're close friends or anything. You need your family!"

"I don't have any family! My family doesn't give a shit about me! And we may not be close, but goddamnit, we are close enough! You healed me! You could've let him rape and kill me! You're not the same Draco Malfoy from school. You're better than that now! Don't tell me that… don't tell me that you're practically a stranger to me because I don't see it like that!"

Draco froze, his heart sinking into the pits of his stomach. "Does your family really not care about you?" He asked softly.

Hermione relaxed a little but still tried to regain her balance. "No, they don't care. My father threw me out of the house last week. I've been on my own ever since."

He took in this information and rubbed the back of his neck unsurely. Draco bit his lip and then looked back up at her. "Fine… you can stay here then, but you need to eat."

This made her instantly shake her head. "I don't want to eat," she said casually. "Just… let me be. I can take care of myself."

Draco snorted in disbelief now and chuckled. "Yeah, you've clearly made that apparent. You almost got killed and you're starving yourself."

"Look, I'm not your stupid problem to deal with. You don't have to fix me, and I don't want you to try. I just want you to leave me alone."

Draco shook his head. "You don't understand, Granger. As long as you're under my roof, you are my problem. If you want to be left alone, you're welcome to leave, but Merlin knows I can't let you starve yourself to death. I won't be held responsible for that."

Hermione was quiet for a long time before she started to walk towards him, but then the dizziness overwhelmed her and she went hurtling towards the floor. He caught her just in time and then gently laid her on the couch again.

"Your stubbornness hasn't changed, I see. Just lay here; I'm going to go get something light for you to eat."

She was about to protest but to her dismay, found that he was already in the kitchen. She rolled on her side and whimpered silently, feeling the sharp hunger pangs. Hermione shivered the lack of body fat on her failing to keep her warm. When Draco came back with a bowl, she felt fear fill her up again. She bit her lip hard, eyeing him with curiosity.

"It's just some fruit. I figured I'd start you off with something light and get some vitamins into your body. You don't have to eat it all, but I do want to see you eat a lot of it, if possible," Draco said in a soft voice, handing her the vanilla colored bowl.

She took it from him with both hands and peered inside to see sliced bananas, strawberries, and raspberries. The sweet smell filled her nostrils and she started to welcome it. Hermione grabbed a ruby strawberry and slipped it in her mouth before she began chewing it. The actual action of eating seemed so overwhelming, it almost made her nauseous. She looked at him wearily now and set the bowl down, glancing at him with apologetic eyes.

"It's alright. It must have been too much for you too soon. I'm sorry. Just eat some whenever you feel like it. I'm not going to shove it down your throat. I just don't want you to die here. I don't to feel guilty and make me feel like I didn't do enough to try to save you."

Hermione felt tears well in her eyes and looked at him. "Draco… I'm not going to die…"

"You are if you continue to take your pills and starve yourself."

"I-I'll eat the fruit but… you can't push me to eat all of it. This is difficult for me, alright? You don't understand, Draco."

He now laughed a cold, hard laugh of disbelief. "I don't understand? No, Granger. It's you who doesn't understand. I had a sister! She had anorexia from our father always telling her she wasn't good enough! That she wasn't skinny enough! When she died, she weighed 93 pounds… and it's not like our parents ever paid attention to us so they never noticed that she had stopped eating! Don't you dare tell me that I don't understand because I do! I think I do more than anyone!"

This silenced Hermione again and she quickly wiped at a fallen tear that had escaped from her eyes, and when she looked back up at Draco, she was surprised to see tears falling mutely from his own eyes.

Later that night, Hermione sat on the bed in the room Draco had designated for her, and looked down at her hands shamefully. She shouldn't have gotten Draco upset and given him a hard time. He was just trying to help her and didn't want Hermione to end up like his sister. She hated herself. She was always screwing things up.

Just then, there were three gently taps at her door. She looked up to see Draco peeking his head.

"I'm sorry, Granger."

She shook her head and then looked down at her lap. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't know about your sister. I wish I could've met her. I didn't mean to say that you don't understand but… it's true. You really don't understand until you have the illness. She understood, and it's difficult to explain reasoning behind it to someone who doesn't live it every day."

He was quiet for awhile before he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "I guess you're right. You know, my sister… she got frustrated at me for trying to get to eat too. She always told me how I don't understand," he chuckled softly in his reminisce.

Hermione smiled gently. "She sounded like a smart girl. I'm sorry…"

Draco cleared his throat now and nodded in politeness. "Yeah, umm… can I ask you a couple questions? I mean, if you're going to be living with me, I need to know more about you."

Hermione watched cautiously as Draco walked towards her and then sat on the bed beside her. "Like what? What could you want to know that you didn't find out in school?"

Draco bit his lip, as if he was trying to choose his words carefully. He shrugged and tried to relax but started to fidget with his hands.

"I don't know… like, why is Harry doing this to you? Why is he suddenly trying to… to rape you? You two were best friends in school. That's something I don't understand."

Hermione sighed softly and turned to face him, searching his eyes. "Me and Harry started going out in our last year, and… almost as soon as we did, he tried to get into my pants any chance he got. It didn't stop… and then I found out that all he wanted from me was sex. We broke up, and after school finished, I went back home. My parents told me I couldn't live with them anymore, and forced me to stay out so… I got a job, if you can call it that."

"Granger, that's not a job. Selling your body like you are is just asking for trouble. There are a lot of bad men out there who would hurt you just because they can, and you're basically inviting them to do that."

She ran her fingers through her caramel colored locks. "I did what the only option that was open to me was! I didn't have a choice, Draco…"

He stood up quickly now and laughed almost callously. "_You didn't have a choice?_ You could've gotten a job at the Ministry, been a secretary, or been a librarian at Hogwarts! You had every opportunity to have been something better!"

She shook her head now and looked up at him. "You don't understand! No one's going to hire a non-recovering anorexic! They're going to take one look at me, know what I am, and put me in hospital!"

Draco suddenly pushed over a nearby chair, sending it to the floor. "Then recover, Granger! Get a proper job! Stop this anorexic shit and pull yourself together!"

Hermione jumped at his sudden temper flare up but then felt frustration rise up from somewhere within her, forcing her to stand up. "Yeah! Alright, Draco! I'll just recover then! I'll just suddenly stop being anorexic and get my shit together! You really don't get it, do you? You're so ignorant! It makes me so furious!"

"But it's true, Granger! It's true! You need a real job instead of one that requires you to whore yourself out on the fucking street!"

The words stung Hermione and she felt hurt and sadness replace her anger. She felt weak and small now. "So I'm a whore now?"

Draco looked into her eyes and realized his mistake. "No. Granger, I didn't mean that."

"The hell you didn't! You're all the same! You and my parents and everyone! God… do you even hear yourself when you talk?" Hermione clutched the insides of her sleeves before she tried to hold back a soft cry.

Draco stepped closer to her now and reached out to grab her hand. "Wait, hold on… can we just talk?"

Hermione took a step back from him and shook her head. "No! No, we can't! Every word you said is ice and just makes me hurt all over again!"

She started out of the room now, fogged with fatigue and exhaustion, before starting towards the main door. She heard quick footsteps behind her and attempted to walk faster but Draco grabbed her arms firmly.

"Stop it! Don't fucking touch me, Draco!"

He let go of her now, his back to him, but still watched Hermione. "Where are you going to go? You're going to die out there!"

Hermione opened the door now and turned around to face him, fear and anger laced in her eyes. "Better to die out there with strangers than to die in here with someone I hate."

With that, she hurried out and slammed the door behind her, leaving Draco all alone in the empty apartment.

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I apologize for the shortness of this one. I promise I'll make the next one longer. Please review! =)


	3. Deja Vu

**Author's Note: Thank you for reviewing, guys! Keep it up!**

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**Chapter 3: Déjà vu**

Hermione was regretting leaving his apartment as she walked in the dawn's early light. The air felt cool and she could feel and smell the rain on its way. She hated herself for not keeping herself in line when he spoke out of line. She shouldn't have overreacted; she knew that much and she was feeling like a fool for having done so. She looked around to find herself near The Three Broomsticks and stopped at the door, thinking about going in, but that would mean she would have to eat, and she wasn't ready to do that just yet.

Hermione sighed to herself and started walking again when suddenly; she heard a voice she instantly recognized.

"Hermione! What happened at Draco's? Why did you leave?"

She felt her stomach sink as she turned around to see Blaise heading towards her, his hands in his pockets. "I left… because I'm stupid, and I'm scared."

He looked at her with uncertain eyes and felt nervous about the fact that he could clearly make out the bones in her arms as they pressed firmly against her skin. He then noticed the bandage on her hand and dried blood in her hair.

"Damn it. Harry found you again, didn't he?"

She hid her bandaged hand against her shirt and looked down, hating how vulnerable she felt right now. "I'm fine. Draco healed me."

"You're lucky he found out, you know that, right? You could've been killed."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him now and started walking again, frustrated at herself, Draco, and now at Blaise. "I'm not a child. I can take care of myself."

He shook his head in partial disbelief. "Oh yeah, so you've told me. You've really proven that you can take care of yourself," Blaise replied sarcastically. "If you could, then you wouldn't need Draco to save you every time Harry jumped you."

Hermione stopped walking now and looked down at her pencil thin legs, knowing he had a point. She wanted to be independent. She wished that she didn't always need Draco's help, and she wished Harry would just leave her alone. Blaise must have sensed her defeat because he unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her in a friendly hug. She let herself melt into his comforting embrace and tried to stop feeling so weak. Hermione let him hold her on the street for a couple minutes before she reluctantly pulled out of the hug.

"It's going to be okay, you know that, don't you?"

Hermione shrugged but then nodded, running a tired hand through her hair. She closed her eyes, feeling a tidal wave of dizziness sweep through her.

Blaise looked at her uneasily now and wearily. "Do you need to sit down somewhere, Hermione? You're looking pretty pale."

She shook her head and opened her eyes to look at him but instead, saw double of him. "I'm okay… I know that it's going to be alright. Thank you, Blaise…"

He nodded and then wrapped a casual arm around Hermione's shoulders now and started to lead her to his club.

"Why do we have to go into your strip club, Blaise? I don't like it in there…"

He unlocked the door and led her inside before he locked it back up, still too early to officially open to the barflies and the regulars. "I know, and I'm sorry, but I'd rather have you be inside here than out there where you can get hurt again."

She followed him against her own will until he lead her over to the bar and got behind it before he grabbed a bottle of water and set it in front of her. "Drink up."

Hermione looked at him hesitantly before she shook her head. "I-I don't have any money, Blaise."

He shook his head back and motioned for her to keep it. "It's fine. Just drink it, please. If you refuse to eat anything, you need to at least stay hydrated. And you left your money here when you changed clothes yesterday. I can go get it for you later."

Hermione uncapped the bottle and drank some of the cold water before looking at him. "I don't plan to stay here very long."

Blaise began to clean off the top of the counters of the bar area. "Well you better change your plans because you're staying here until I have Draco come to get you."

She looked at him now with ice in her eyes. "I'm not a child, Blaise! I don't need supervision all the time!"

He walked over to her and chuckled. "You have to be more convincing than _that_, Hermione! You need to be a hell of a lot smarter than you've been and you need to put your pride aside for five goddamn minutes! You need an escort to get you safely across the streets. At least let Draco do that. He's a good man, and if you open your eyes, you'll see he isn't the same asshole he was in school."

"He called me a whore. Oh yeah, he's a real gentleman."

Blaise smiled now and leaned against the bar. "Sometimes, when people are angry they say things they don't mean. And I know Draco better than anyone, so I know he didn't mean what he said. I think you just took it out of context."

Hermione relaxed now, knowing that yet again, Blaise was right. Why did she make things so hard for everyone? Why couldn't she just listen to Blaise and Draco?

"I don't want to be dependent on Draco for everything. I don't want to be his burden that he has to take care of. He just thinks that I can stop being what I am, and he says he understands but he really doesn't… get it,"

Blaise listened intently and let her go on.

"I just want him to try to understand, and I want him to understand that I can't eat on demand. I have physical goals, and I don't see this as a mental illness. To me, losing weight and wanting to be thin is normal. It's not a problem, and Draco and you treat me like it is."

He walked around the bar counter and sat down beside her on a barstool. "You're not looking at it from the outside. You're the one trapped in the body, and you deal with it every day, so you think it's normal. What me and Draco see though… we see a skeleton turning thinner and thinner every day. How much do you weigh right now, Hermione?"

"I-I don't know. I haven't weighed myself since… after school, and I was 105 then."

"You've got to be at least 98 right now. If you get any thinner, you will die, and that's why Draco and I act so frustrated sometimes. And it's another reason why we treat you like a child, because really, you weigh as much as one."

Hermione shook her head, not approving how they got on the subject of her weight. "No, I don't… I don't believe you, but that's not the point. This isn't about me."

Blaise looked at her sadly now and placed his hand in her own bony fingers. "You don't realize, Hermione. It really is all about you."

Hermione had drunk two more water bottles since their talk and she wasn't feeling dizzy anymore. Blaise still hadn't opened the club and she was sure there were customers waiting outside.

"How are you feeling, better?"

She nodded soundlessly and looked back down. "Good. Umm… I need to let these people in. Do you want me to call Draco?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Blaise kicked himself for his next move, but he needed her to trust him. "Yes, you do. I won't call him if promise me that you'll try to stay away from trouble."

"I don't go looking for it! Christ, Blaise…"

Blaise sighed and looked at her. "Go then. Leave. I'll get in trouble, but if you can't go back to Draco, then I hope you'd come back to me at least."

Hermione was feeling guilt eat away at her now but she was grateful he wasn't going to call Draco. She'd never hear the end of it from him. She wasn't sure where she was going to go, but she knew Harry wouldn't try to attack her in broad daylight. She just wouldn't go through any of the alleyways.

Blaise set another bottle of water on the bar, seeing the decision on her face. "Will you come back here if you even think someone is following you, or if you feel like you're in danger?"

Hermione nodded and took the bottle. She stood up and then kissed Blaise's cheek in a friendly manner and then unlocked the door, letting the patrons inside first before she exited the club.

She walked down the sidewalk for awhile and then decided to go see Ginny. She didn't really have anyone she could go to, and she was afraid of bothering Ginny. Hermione apparated herself out of Hogmeade and into Diagon Alley. She knew that after school, Ginny became a Quidditch senior editor for the Daily Prophet. Hermione could just hope that she was working that day.

She walked inside the building and looked around to see several witches and wizards scrambling to print the newspaper in time for the morning edition.

"Excuse me!"

Hermione turned around and saw a man rush past her. She followed her, not seeing Ginny anywhere. "Wait, excuse me! Do you know who Ginny Weasley is?"

The woman turned around and her impatient face filled with one of surprise and excitement. "Hermione? Hermione Granger?"

She wasn't sure how this woman knew her until she saw the woman's smile. "Oh Merlin… Katie Bell? Is that you?"

She ran over to Hermione and hugged her tightly. "It's been ages! And you're almost skin and bone! What happened to you?"

Hermione hugged her back with weak arms and finally escaped the embrace to look at her. "N-Nothing… I'm just fine. I was just wondering if you know where Ginny leaves?"

Katie Bell's smile diminished now, almost as if she had hoped Hermione would've asked her for coffee to catch up. She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down an address before handing it to her.

"She lives in London, with her husband."

Hermione raised an eyebrow now. "Husband? Who did she marry?"

"Cormac McLaggen, of course. They were practically inseparable in my last year," Katie answered as she put a paper under the printing press and turned it on.

"Wow. I never did like him. He almost had a temper and he was so cocky. I can't believe Ron would allow them together. He despised Cormac."

Katie chuckled. "I know, but I guess Ginny convinced Ron that Cormac was The One. He was always a righteous git though, if you ask me."

Hermione looked down at the piece of paper. "Thank you, Katie. It was really great seeing you again," she smiled halfheartedly.

She smiled weakly and nodded. "Good luck, Hermione."

Hermione walked out of the _Daily Prophet_ building and apparated into London, arriving at the address Katie had given her. She fixed shirt and her hair and then took a deep breath before knocking at the door.

It had been only a second when someone opened the door abruptly and looked down upon Hermione.

"What do you want Hermione?" Cormac almost seemed to growl.

She looked past him and then back at the tall figure. "Is Ginny home?"

He tongued his cheek impatiently and then opened the door wider before yelling. "Ginny! Hermione's here!"

She heard footsteps hurry down the stairs and saw Ginny looking at Cormac, fear in her eyes as he started back up the stairs. Hermione barely recognized her. Ginny was looking almost as thin as she was, she looked more timid and scared. Almost instantly, Ginny threw herself at Hermione, nearly knocking her down as she wrapped her arms around her.

Hermione felt awkward as she slowly wrapped her own arms around her friend. "Are you okay, Gin?"

She forced herself away now and looked up at Hermione. "Thank God you're here. I missed you so much, Mia."

Hermione started to become worried now and gently took her hand and walked into the living room before sitting down with her. It was only when they had sat down on the couch that Hermione saw bruises on Ginny's arms and a red handprint on her face. She felt her heart sink into the pits of her stomach and she suddenly felt sick.

"Did he do this you? Oh my God…"

Ginny put her fingers to her broken lip to shush her. "Shh… please don't tell anyone. I-I deserved it. I can't leave him though. It'll break his heart."

Hermione looked at her with pity in her eyes. "We need to get you out of here. I need you as much as you need me right now but we need to get you away from this creep."

Ginny quickly shook her head as tears ran down her cheeks. "N-No! I'm fine… I-I'm okay. Please… please, Mia. Please don't make me leave."

Hermione heard footsteps and looked at the stairs to make sure Cormac wasn't coming back down before looking back at Ginny. "Sweetie, he's abusing you. He's not even letting you eat anything…"

She saw Ginny bite her lips now and then look away. "A-Actually, I just… I've been like this since we graduated. He made me feel loved… he made me feel so good until he started… hurting me."

She didn't want to do this but she knew she had to help her friend before it was too late. "We need to get you out of here. Do you trust me?"

Ginny nodded quickly and Hermione took her friend's hand before apparating her out and in front of Draco's apartment door.

"He's going to kill me now… w-where are we, Hermione?"

She bit her lip, still holding Ginny's hand and then knocked. A few minutes later, Draco opened the door and looked at Hermione in surprise but then when he saw who was with her, he looked nervous and uneasy.

"She needs our help…"

Draco leaned against the door and sighed. "You mean she needs _my_ help…"

"Draco, he's abusing her! We have to do something!"

"Granger, they're married. She's his wife now. He has a right to see her. He's going to find out where she is eventually and he's going to take her right back there. Taking her in isn't going to solve anything."

She looked at him with desperate eyes. "We could save her life! Look at her! Look at her and tell me that you won't help her!"

Draco glanced his eyes towards Ginny and saw faint handprints around her neck that her hair poorly attempted to cover up. He noticed the bruises on her arms and how similar their bodies looked. He felt anger poking at the surface but he tried to hold it back. It was difficult enough to deal with one anorexic, but throw two into the mix, and Draco figured he might go insane. He saw his sister in both of them.

He also saw how this could be his second chance to save her in a way. He had messed up trying to save his sister the first time, but now he had a chance to redeem himself. His anger disappeared and now hope and concern touched his eyes. He opened the door wider and let Hermione walk inside with Ginny.

"Set her on the couch. I'll heal her."

Ginny still held Hermione's hand tightly as they sat down on the couch. She looked at Draco fearfully as he kneeled down on the floor in front of her. She went to try to move away from him but he gently grabbed her free bruised arm.

"It's alright. You're okay, Ginny. You're safe here. I won't let Cormac hurt you again. I promise."

Hermione looked at Draco as he talked to her in the same smooth tones he had talked to Hermione with and then was surprised when he called Ginny by her first name, something he hadn't been able to do with Hermione.

Ginny relaxed slightly but Draco could practically hear her heart pounding against her ribcage. He ran his hand down her arm, healing the bruises slowly.

"W-What if he comes h-here?"

Draco was quiet for a little bit before looking up at Ginny. "Well, Cormac's definitely going to find out you're here eventually. And… we could get a restraining order on him until we get divorce papers."

Ginny looked at Draco. "I-I don't want to divorce him… he's… he's not a bad guy…"

Draco sighed softly and patiently looked up at her, still holding her arm. "Ginny, he's physically abusing you. He hurt you. He just hurts you so he can feel good about himself. That isn't right. He's… brainwashed you into believing that what he does is right, but it's not. Please get a divorce from him. I'll help you."

Ginny was silent now and looked down at her lap. Draco looked at Hermione pleadingly and then took his hand from Ginny's.

"I'll help you too, Gin. We'll get through this together. Me and Draco won't let Cormac hurt you anymore."

Ginny nodded slowly and then leaned against Hermione's shoulder.

Draco ran a hand through his hair, feeling a sense of déjà vu all over again. He was going to not only have to protect Hermione from Harry, but also had to protect Ginny from Cormac, and he knew he was going to need backup.

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That's it! So review and tell me your thoughts! Do you want me to keep going?


	4. Secrets

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews! They've made me very happy. I'm sorry for the delay for this chapter. A lot of things have been going on lately. I hope to answer your questions eventually in here! Keep reviewing and make me happy!**

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Chapter Four: Secrets

As Hermione slept for the first time in weeks beside Ginny, Draco took this time to call for his backup. He reluctantly dialed Ron Weasley's number first. He knew that they never had gotten along in school but he needed backup in case Cormac decided to show up at his door with guns, or wands, blazing.

"Hello?"

Draco sighed and thought about hanging the phone up but gathered up the courage to talk to him. "Hello, Weasley. It's Draco."

"Malfoy? What the bloody hell are you doing calling me?"

Draco leaned against the wall, watching Ginny and Hermione lie still on the couch. "I'm calling on behalf of your sister. She's in trouble, and I'm thinking I might need someone to help me protect her."

"What are you getting at? What happened to her?"

"You obviously never visited her often at Cormac's house, did you?" Draco asked knowingly. When there was silence on the other end, he went on. "Cormac's been beating her up and Hermione brought her to my apartment to get her away from him."

"Why didn't she bring Ginny to my place?"

Draco already regretted calling Ron. He didn't have time for all his questions. "That doesn't matter right now. Are you going to help me or not?"

"Of course not! Why would I help you? You gave Hermione hell in school and now you're calling me for help. Do you honestly think I'm going to help you?"

Draco tongued his cheek in frustration. "I was thinking you might since your sister is involved! I don't care if you don't do it for me, but damn it, do it for her! She needs your help."

Draco heard a long pause and almost thought Ron had hung up until he heard him sigh.

"Come on, Weasley. You shouldn't have to think about this! This is your fucking sister we're talking about here," Draco said in a hushed voice. "You owe it to her!"

"Piss off, Malfoy; I'm not going to help anyone. She doesn't deserve my help with the way she is! She got herself into this mess with Cormac and her starving herself to death. She needs to figure out a way to help herself."

Draco gritted his teeth and tried to keep his voice down. "You're a real nice big brother, Weasley. I'm sure she'll look back on this one day and be so grateful that you decided to help her!" He slammed the phone down and grabbed at his hair with his hands, feeling so angry at Ron.

He took several deep breaths to try to calm himself and walked into the living room to check on the girls, who were still sleeping soundly. Draco relaxed a little and then walked back into the kitchen to call Blaise, wanting to make sure that he had at least one person that would help him with Cormac. After a few minutes of talking, he hung up the phone gentler this time and heard footsteps behind him.

"What did my brother say?" A soft, timid voice asked.

Draco turned around to see Ginny and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Ginny. He doesn't want any part of this."

He watched as terror filled her eyes now and continued to speak. "It's alright. Blaise said he's all in. He's going to help us. Neither of us will let Cormac get near you. Okay?"

Ginny nodded but still looked uneasy. "O-Okay… umm… can I have some water?"

"Yeah, of course. Have a seat," Draco invited, pulling out a chair for her as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with tap water from the sink. He set the glass in front of her

then sat down in the chair next to her. He watched her intently as she drank the water and eyed her thin arms. "Are you feeling dizzy, Ginny?"

She set the glass in front of her and looked at Draco. "What do you want me to say, Draco?"

"The truth would be nice. I just want to know how you're feeling right now."

Ginny finished off her glass of water and then sighed inwardly. "Scared, dizzy, anxious. I don't know… I guess just fucked up in general."

"Ginny, I can help you to not be all of those things if you just let me. You could help Hermione at the same time. If she sees you eating, she might eat too."

She bit her lip and folded her arms on top of each other across her chest. "Do you really think it's that easy? That's not how it works."

"Isn't it worth a shot if it means you could save her life and yours? Just… stop this bullshit… it's so… stupid and unnecessary."

Ginny stood up now and started back over to Hermione who was still sleeping on the couch. She kneeled down and gently shook her arm. "Hermione, wake up…"

"Mmmhmm? Just five more minutes, Gin…."

Ginny sat back on her knees and just looked down at the rug in defeat, feeling so alone right now. Draco watched them and felt uneasy until he heard a knock at the door. He stood up and walked towards the door before opening it.

"Hey, come on in, Blaise."

Blaise, almost timidly walked inside the apartment, looking tired and almost fearful. He glanced down at the girls and then back up at Draco. "Has he come here yet?"

Draco shook his head as he walked over to Blaise. "No, not yet. Her brother wouldn't come though. He's being a prick about the whole thing. I need your help with something else though," Draco said in a whisper so Ginny and Hermione wouldn't be able to hear.

Blaise raised his eyebrows now. "Oh really? What now?"

Draco nodded over to the two pencil thin women who were starting to look all too well like walking skeletons. "We need to get them to eat something or else they're going to die. You obviously can't encourage them to eat and you support their damn illness!"

Blaise looked away now, running a nervous hand through his hair. He heard Hermione begin to stir and open her eyes to look at the two of them but he didn't turn to face her. "Draco, I'm sorry but I can't force them to eat anything!"

Draco looked at him sternly now, anger laced in his emerald eyes. "If you don't do it, then I'm going to put the both of them in hospital to get better."

"Don't threaten me, Malfoy! You can't give me an ultimatum like that! That's shit… I am not going to force them to choke down food when they don't want to!"

Draco looked at Hermione and saw that she had sat up now and was looking between the two of them wearily. "You need help! I can't stand seeing you and Ginny look like this any longer!"

Blaise watched as Draco started for the telephone and he suddenly raced over and blocked the phone. "Stop this! We need to protect Ginny from Cormac first! Once we know that she's safe, then we can worry about getting them help!"

Draco shook his head and shoved Blaise hard, knocking him into the counters hard. "No! Screw that plan, Blaise! It'll be too late! They'll be dead by then!"

Blaise felt like he was being pulled into two different directions. On one hand, he wanted to let them have their control as long as possible, but on the other hand, he knew Draco was right. He didn't want the girls to die, and knew it was a grim possibility that it could happen as long as they kept starving themselves like they were.

"You know I'm right, Blaise! I'm fucking calling!"

Blaise grabbed the phone from Draco's hand and then looked at Draco. "What if Cormac hurts Ginny while she's in hospital? It'd be so easy. Blaise felt like he was being pulled into two different directions. On one hand, he wanted to let them have their control as long as possible, but on the other hand, he knew Draco was right. He didn't want the girls to die, and knew it was a grim possibility that it could happen as long as they kept starving themselves like they were.

"You know I'm right, Blaise! I'm fucking calling!"

Blaise grabbed the phone from Draco's hand and then looked at Draco. "What if Cormac hurts Ginny while she's in hospital? It'd be so easy when they're hooked up to IV bags and tubes. It'll be easier for him to hurt her there than if he hurts her here."

"Don't be thick, Blaise. We'll both be there with them! We'll protect them!"

"For how long? How long until the hospital throws us out?"

Draco looked at Blaise darkly, threat in his eyes. "Move. Give me the phone. Now."

"No! Listen, Draco. These girls need to feel some kind of control in all this chaos. Not eating is their control. It gives them some sense of accomplishment. If they don't have this control, then they're going to get even more ill from this disease. It's going to eat them alive but we can stop that from happening before it's too late."

"They're going to die either way? That's an even better plan, Blaise! Let's just let them starve themselves to death! I don't mind digging another grave!"

Hermione bit her lip, listening to them argue. She squeezing Ginny's hand and then looked over at the two boys, afraid of the outcome of their decision. She felt Ginny squeeze her hand back and bit her lip, afraid to speak up. Blaise seemed to cower a little now, but he knew his attempt to reason with Draco was useless. He was just as stubborn as Hermione, and Blaise had always known they'd make a great couple. He looked over at the two girls and then back at his friend.

"Just let them do their thing. You're not their brother, and they're not your sister. Just protect them from Cormac," Blaise said, his voice serious and talking to Draco in almost an ordering tone. "After we deal with Cormac, they're going into hospital to get better. I can't deal with this happening all over again," Draco replied in a sad voice.

His friend nodded in agreement and then gently patted Draco's shoulder before he walked over to Hermione and Ginny. He knelt down and smiled reassuringly between the two.

He heard footsteps behind him walk down the hallway and into a bedroom. "Come on, it's getting late. You girls should get some sleep."

Hermione searched Blaise's face nervously before looking down. "I'm scared."

Blaise nodded in understanding before he arranged them so they had enough space to lie down before he laid down on the floor. He felt Hermione's hand gently touch his back and then felt her curl into him. He was afraid to cross the line with Draco, and he knew that Draco had some kind of feelings for her. Blaise was afraid to get involved with what Draco assumed already was his, and he knew that if his friend even saw them, there might be hell to pay later on. Her gentle touch felt nice though, right now; It felt soothing and soft. He decided he wasn't going to dwell on what could happen. He wasn't going to dwell on the future. For now, it felt safe in all of the chaos that was happening around them.

\ \ \ \ \

Hermione woke up the next morning, beads of cold sweat matting her hair. She saw the sun peaking through the curtains and knew it was still somewhat early. She carefully unhooked her arm from Ginny's and stood up before tiptoeing into the kitchen. It was quiet although she could hear a shower running somewhere down the hall, signaling Draco was awake. She grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water before she grabbed the pill that was in her pocket, swallowed it, and then drank the rest of the water.

"Do you have one for me?"

Hermione took out one of the white round pills from the baggie and handed it to Ginny. She knew it had been Ginny. She knew it was her because _she_ understood. Ginny understood what it was like to feel like she did.

"What do we do now? Are we just going to stay here until things blow over?"

Hermione looked over at her and smiled softly. "I don't know. I think I might hurt Draco if I have to stay here with the way he's being. We need to get you the restraining order against Cormac or else he's going to think it's okay for him to come get you back."

Ginny was quiet now and Hermione thought she had wandered back into the living room when she finally spoke. "Where do we get a restraining order?"

"I'm not sure, Gin. We'll ask Draco when he comes out."

She nodded and sat down in one of the chairs as Draco came out. "Good morning, girls."

"Morning, Draco. Erm, we have a question. Where and when are we going to get the order against Cormac?"

Draco glanced at the clock and then looked at his watch. "Umm… well, it's just going to be me going to get the restraining order against him. You two and Blaise are going to stay here."

Hermione sighed stood up, walking over to him. "Why can't we go with you?"

Draco leaned into Hermione so Ginny wouldn't hear. "Because after I get the order, I'm going to pay Cormac a visit to tell him about it."

"Wait, Draco! At least take Blaise with you."

"I should take him with me? And who exactly is going to watch over you and Ginny?"

"Cormac's not going to come here if you're over there with him! We'll be fine!"

"I don't want to take the chance of that asshole coming here while I'm at the Ministry getting the restraining order!"

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Please, just take Blaise. We'll be alright. I won't let him hurt her."

"Yeah, of course you won't. You'll just get hurt by him."

"Damn it, Draco! Stop worrying about what could happen. Just take Blaise and go."

He almost glared at her in frustration and growled before he walked over to the living room to wake Blaise up. He told him the situation and he waited for him to get ready before going over to Hermione.

"There. Are you happy now? Are you happy that you have control over something other than your starvation?"

She felt hurt fill her eyes now and she looked down before walking down the hall and slammed the bathroom door shut behind her.

"Are you happy that you hurt her?"

Draco now looked guilty as he heard Ginny's voice but he tried to push it down before glancing at Blaise who had gotten his sweatshirt on. "Are you almost ready, Blaise?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

Draco gave an apologetic look at Ginny and then walked out of the apartment with Blaise, closing the door behind them before hearing Ginny lock it. He looked at Blaise and then apparated them to the Ministry. After speaking to several people about the situation, he was finally given a piece of parchment with the necessary information on it. Draco then apparated with Blaise on Cormac's front step. When he opened the door, Draco smirked and shoved the parchment in his face.

"This says you are not allowed within 200 feet of Ginny!"

Cormac grabbed the bottom of the parchment and looked at them. "She's my wife! I have the right to see her! You can't do this. She's still mine!"

"Not for long, Cormac. Not after we get divorce papers signed."

Cormac laughed now. "Divorce papers? The other party, being me, has to sign those as well in order for a divorce to happen, and I'm telling you right now, it's not going to ever happen!"

Draco remained calm and collected as he shook his head and folded the piece of paper his pocket. "No, you don't, not in this case. The other party, being you, doesn't have to sign the papers if he has been physically abusive to the other party, being Ginny. So sorry, Golden Boy, but your reasoning is fucked."

The color drained out of Cormac's face now and he had anger and rage filling his entire being up. He suddenly punched Draco so hard, it almost sent him to the floor. Blaise tackled Cormac and started to punch him before Cormac got in a few good punches as well. Draco hurried over to them and grabbed his friend's arm before pulling him up and off of Cormac. "Come on, Blaise! He's not worth it."

He obeyed Draco and followed him out of the house before he spit out the blood from his mouth following Cormac's hard punches to his face. Draco patted his back and apparated them back to Draco's apartment.

He knocked on the door. "Gin! Let us in!"

Ginny hurried over to the door and unlocked it before opening it for the two of them. "Did you get it? Oh my god… what happened?"

Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We're fine, Ginny. We got the restraining order," he said, pulling the piece of parchment out of his pocket before handing it to her. "Is Granger still in the bathroom?"

Ginny bit her lip and nodded. "I tried to talk to her. She's just crying and she won't come out."

Draco sighed heavily and walked past her, down the hall. Once he made it to the bathroom, he knocked. "Granger! Come out!"

Hermione jumped when Draco knocked, which really sounded like he was pounding on the door with his fist. She quickly wiped away her tears from her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Go to hell, Draco! You've obviously shown how much you care if I starve myself to death! I bet you just can't wait for that to happen!"

Draco tried the doorknob but already knew it was locked. He placed his hand against the door. "Please let me in, Granger. We should… we should just talk."

"I have nothing to say!"

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Granger. Just open the door…"

Hermione huffed and then Alohorma'd the locked door from inside the bathtub, behind the shower curtain. She wrapped her arms around her small legs as she pulled them into her chest and rested her chin on her knees.

Draco walked slowly over to the bathtub and kneeled down on the floor before pulling back the curtain.

"Hey… are you in here just because of what I said earlier?"

Hermione shook her head now and finally looked at him. "N-No… it's not just that."

Draco searched her sad eyes. "What else is it?"

"Why do you call Ginny by her first name but you still call me by my last?"

This question took Draco aback, but knew she would ask him it sooner or later. He leaned against the bathtub and tried to think about how he was going to answer it. "Ginny and I have a better relationship than you and I have."

"A better relationship? Like how?"

Draco looked down, feeling guilty again. "We… went out, in school. For six months…"

Hermione looked at him in disbelief and shook her head, tears in her eyes. "If you did go out with her, it was just for your own selfish needs."

"I went out with her because I wanted you, and I couldn't have you."

Hermione felt tears escape her eyes and shook her head. "N-No… y-you hate me! You can't stand me! You hated me in school because… I-I wasn't like you. I wasn't a pureblood!"

"I hated you in school because my father wanted me to hate you! I hated him for that. I… I fell in love with you in school, but I couldn't do anything about it," Draco said, almost in a whisper. "So.. I went behind my father's back and… I started going out with Ginny. It was a secret though. No… No one else knew about it besides Blaise. I told Ginny to tell you that she had to study for classes if you ever asked where she was going. We stayed at The Hog's Head Inn, and we became close. It was the closest I could get to being with you. We b-became friends and then we couldn't be together anymore because my father was becoming suspicious. So we called it off. We were always friends though after that."

Hermione wasn't really sure how to feel after all of that. A part of her felt hurt, another part felt confused. "D-Did you sleep w-with her?"

Draco was afraid this question was going to come up eventually in the conversation but he didn't want to lie anymore. "Yes. We slept together a few times."

"Were… you just using her for sex?"

Draco looked her in the eye now and shook his head sincerely. "No. I would never. I slept with her because I felt really close to her, and that brought me close to you."

"She was still a Gryffindor. She was the same as me… your father would've disapproved you going out with her just as much as he'd disapprove of you going out with me."

"Yes, he would've but… to him, blood makes all the difference."

"Why should blood matter? Why should it matter if someone's pureblood or half-blood or even a Muggle?"

Draco took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't know, but it did matter to him."

Hermione caught the past tense and her curiousity became engaged. "D-Did?"

"My father's dead now, Granger. He killed himself after my sister died about five months ago."

Hermione was silent in thought, unsure what the proper thing to say now was. She looked at Draco again and then spoke softly. "Do you still love her? Do you feel anything for me now?"

"I love her only as a friend. My feelings for you haven't changed since school. I feel a lot of things for you now. I'm just scared that you're going to die before you get the chance to tell me you love me too, if you do."

Hermione swallowed hard, feeling an ache in her stomach. "T-This is a lot to try to figure out… I-I'm sorry, Draco… I-I don't know if I can say that to you just yet. A lot of…"

"Shit is happening," Draco finished for her, nodding. "I understand. It's alright. I'll try to have more patience with you. I'll try to support you and help you as much as I can, okay?"

Hermione nodded and wiped away her tears once again. "Okay."

Draco held out his hand. "Do you want to go back out there?"

She took his hand, nodding as he helped her out of the bathtub. "Will you call me by my first name?"

Draco chuckled now but saw she was serious. "I'll try to. I'll try my hardest. It's become a habit to call you by your last though. But, I'll try my best to call you Hermione."

She smiled gentle and stepped on the rug. "Thank you."

Draco smiled back, kissed her on the forehead and he lead her out of the bathroom.


	5. One Hundred And Four

A/N: Don't own.

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**Chapter Five: One Hundred And Four**

"So what are we going to do now?"

Draco glanced down at Ginny who was sitting on the floor with Blaise. "We need to go to the Ministry and get the divorce papers. You'll sign it, and we'll return them. Then Cormac has no connection to you anymore and we can have him arrested if he tries anything."

Hermione bit her lip in thought. Draco had said he was going to put the two of them in hospital after the whole ordeal was over. Now that Draco was about to get the divorce papers, she wouldn't have much time until he did this. She didn't have much time until she was about to have no control over anything whatsoever. She looked down at her lap, only vaguely hearing the conversation taking place in the living room.

"How long until we go to get the papers, Draco?"

He shrugged and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. The sooner we go, the better. I don't want Cormac around here anytime soon."

Ginny looked over at Hermione who looked tired, and pale, but knew she probably looked about the same. She looked back at Draco now, thinking. "Could we… hold off a couple weeks?"

Draco looked at Blaise and then back at Ginny. "I don't think it's good if we wait that long. We're just asking for trouble. That'll be just enough time for that restraining order to expire and Cormac finding a way around the divorce papers. Why don't you want to get it over and done with?"

Ginny was quiet for awhile and Hermione looked up to see Ginny looking at her. Draco looked between the two girls and caught on.

"Look, I'm worried about both of your health but… I just want all this shit with Cormac to stop. I won't send you to hospital right after this is all over, but I will make you there sooner or later. It's in both of your benefit to go there sooner rather than later. If something happens to you, I'll be held responsible for you since you're living under my roof. Do you understand?"

Ginny and Hermione both nodded and Hermione felt relief wash over her, the panic subsiding. Draco hated himself for deciding this but he needed the two of them to be as cooperative as possible, and they would try to postpone the papers for as long as possible. Blaise nodded at him, almost as if he was saying that he made the right decision.

"Do you want to go for a run, Gin?"

Ginny almost jumped up at the offer and smiled, nodding. When she looked at Draco though, his face was filled with hesitation and concern.

Hermione felt uncomfortable at the silence. "I'm sure we can find some jogging clothes in Draco's room."

Blaise sensed Draco's hesitation and cleared his throat. "Just let them go, man."

Draco tongued his cheek, trying to keep his patience. "I really don't think that jogging out there is a good idea right now," he said as he looked at Ginny, ignoring Blaise. "Cormac's out there, he'll be looking for you."

Hermione walked over to Draco and hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just let her come with me. I'll watch out for her."

Draco shook his head, shrugging away her hand from his shoulder as he stepped away from her but turned around to look at both of them.

"You'll watch out for her? Would that be before or after Cormac attacks you both?"

Hermione felt small as Draco asked his rhetorical questions but she tried to push it back down. "Is this about Cormac attacking Ginny or do you just not want us to go jogging because you're afraid it's going to make us thinner?"

"Both," he said quickly. "You can exercise here, where Blaise and I can protect you. Why do you want to go out there and put yourselves in danger? Why are you so quick to want to die?"

Hermione knew that Draco meant this in more than one way and she felt her stomach tighten. She shook her head in disappointment at him and gently took Ginny's hand. "Come on, Gin. Let's go get changed so we can get out of here for awhile."

Ginny didn't object and willingly followed her into Draco's bedroom. Draco looked at Blaise whose face was unreadable.

"One of us should go with them."

Blaise bit his lip unsurely. "They'll never forgive us if we follow them everywhere they go. We can't keep an eye on them every minute of every day unless they stay here. We… just need to trust them. We'll make sure they take their wands with them when they leave the apartment, and a phone. They're old enough where we just have to trust they'll keep each other safe."

Draco clenched and unclenched his fists but then took a deep breath and nodded¸ letting out the breath. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just wish they knew the harm they were doing to their bodies with all their exercise. It's not just about Cormac getting to them."

"I know, Draco. It's just a part of their illness. We can make sure they don't overdo it though. We'll weigh them once a week and if they get below one-hundred pounds then we'll just tell them they have to gain some weight before they can try to lose it again."

"They need to be put in hospital so they can have IVs put in. They need professional help. They need to gain weight, a lot of weight."

"You already promised them you'd hold off before you did that. You can't just go back on your word," Blaise replied.

"I can if they're about to die. They're malnourished, Blaise. They don't have hardly any fat on their bodies! There's so many things that can happen to them, and if any of them do, then I'm going back on my word if it means it'll save their lives."

Blaise sighed and shook his head. "Come on, man! We can make them gain weight here. We don't have to put them in a place where strangers are going to slap IVs into their arms and force-feed them! Why are being so difficult on this?"

Draco suddenly shoved him. "Because I don't want either of them to fucking die!"

Blaise stumbled back slightly and began to think that arguing with Draco about this was a lost cause. He looked down at the floor, tonguing the inside of his cheek in frustration. He wanted to help the girls without being the cause of their death by letting them keep going on like they were.

"Open your goddamn eyes and look at them, Blaise! They're walking skeletons," Draco said, frustrated.

"You're such as asshole, Draco!"

Draco turned around to see Hermione and he sighed. "Grang- Hermione! How long have you been standing there?"

Hermione glared at him. "Enough to know that you want to put us in hospital as soon as possible and that we're walking skeletons!"

He walked over to her and placed his hand on her arm gently but she slapped it off. "Get away from me, Draco! If you're going to talk about us, at least have the decency to say what you think to our faces!"IWWW

Ginny hurried out of the bedroom, dressed in similar jogging pants as Hermione, and looked from Draco to Hermione. She looked at Ginny and then at Draco in disgust before taking Ginny's hand and started out of the apartment, Draco following.

"Wait! When will you be back?"

"Later!"

With that, Hermione and Ginny left the apartment, leaving Draco with Blaise and his anger. He gritted his teeth and suddenly started for Blaise, his hands shaking in rage. He wasn't going to hurt the girls, he couldn't. He knew that his friend could take it though. Blaise was too familiar with Draco's sudden violent outbursts. This didn't stop him though from trying to get away from him.

"No… no, Draco! Please… please don't," he begged, scrambling away from him.

"I'm sorry, Blaise," Draco growled as he grabbed Blaise leg, pulling him back towards him, Blaise's fingernails clawing the floor along the way.

He then felt a sharp pain on his skin and felt Draco dealt him a heavy blow, knocking him onto his stomach. Draco kicked his side a few times until he saw his friend spit out blood onto the hardwood floor. He had his father's temper, and despised himself for it. He knew what he was doing was wrong but he couldn't help himself.

"S-Stop… please stop…."

Draco suddenly turned him over and started punching him over and over until his knuckles were stained with Blaise's blood now. He stood up and took a deep breath before sliding onto the floor beside Blaise, looking over at him almost fearfully.

The two were silent for the longest time before Draco finally spoke, tears in his eyes. "I-I'm sorry… I'm sorry," he leaned over, lifted up Blaise's shirt to see the bruises from his broken ribs. He quickly healed them back in place and stood up, helping his friend up as well.

Blaise felt pain in his face but he didn't want Draco to heal those. He wanted him to see all the pain he inflicted. He wanted it to be an everyday reminder, and maybe make him think twice.

"No… get away from me, Draco," Blaise said, almost casually as he knocked Draco's hand away when he attempted to heal his face. He sighed heavily and then started down the hall towards the bathroom.

Draco bit his lip as fresh tears rolled down his eyes in guilt, not wanting to be alone right now. Truth be told, he was just as messed up as Hermione was; he just didn't want to admit it.

\ \ \ \

"We've ran two miles around Hogsmeade and you haven't said a word, Mia. Are you okay?"

Hermione stopping running down as Ginny did but walked along side with her. "Aren't you mad at Draco? He's so two-faced!"

Ginny looked over at her now, trying to catch her breath. "W-What do you mean?"

Hermione took deep breaths in an attempt to catch her own breath as her lungs were forced to work twice as hard. "He acts all nice, tells me he loves me, and now he wants to throw us into hospital as soon as possible!"

Ginny stopped walking now and looked at her. "He told you he loves you?"

"Well, not directly, but he said that he slept with you because it was as close as he could get to me. He told me he's always had a crush on me."

Ginny looked mildly hurt now but looked like she was trying to hide it. "O-Oh… well, what me and him was special, even if it was sleeping together, and kissing…"

Hermione nodded quickly. "I know! I know it was. He told me that you meant something to him. He told me that you weren't just a nice lay for him. He really liked you, Gin. I'm sorry if I made it seem like he was using you."

Ginny shivered, although she was sweating. She gave a small smile. "I know. It's okay. You know, he's just worried and scared. He doesn't understand about what we're doing. It's not his fault though. He's just… frustrated, I guess."

"But it's like, why can't he just leave us alone? Why does he always have to get on our case about not eating? He should understand. His sister went through the same thing."

Ginny stretched her arms above her head. "I don't know. He just cares about what happens to us."

"Yeah, but so does Blaise, and he doesn't bug us about not eating. He encourages us,"

Ginny pulled the large sweatshirt sleeves over her hands and looked at Hermione. She shrugged and waved to her to start jogging again. As Hermione started running by her side, she went on.

"I'm not going into hospital. They'll hook us to IVs and make us fat!"

Ginny thought for awhile. She breathed heavily, her chest aching. She didn't want to feel like this anymore. She didn't want to feel tired or irritated. She didn't want to feel exhausted all the time. She wanted to get better. She realized she was sick of being different from everyone else and she wanted to be able to have a healthy relationship with food. Ginny hadn't really stopped to think about how she wanted to live until now.

"Hey, Hermione? I don't want to be like this anymore…"

Hermione stopped jogging now and looked at her, hurt in her eyes. "Oh, so you have a choice now? You can choose to be sick like me and switch it off whenever you want?"

"Mia, I think I was just like this because of Cormac. He made me like this! He called me fat every chance he got and he abused me! I wanted him to stop so I started to not eat and I ran all the time… he broke me."

Hermione started feeling betrayed. She felt angry tears fill her eyes now. "You poser! You had a choice! I've been like this since my last year in school! You want to get better! You don't have the same goals I have, Ginny! I really thought you did!"

"What are you talking about, Hermione? You can get better too! You just don't want to!"

She shook her head now. "No! I'm not sick! I am healthy! Being thin is healthy! I'm pure inside because I don't have any toxins in my body. I won't go to hospital… you can fucking go though, Ginny! You're not like me and I really thought you were! For awhile I was thinking, 'wow! I'm not alone!' but it turns out that I'm more alone than ever!"

Ginny stood there, watching her friend sob uncontrollably. She felt guilty being the cause of her tears. She wasn't really sure what to say or do now. "I-I'm… I'm sorry, Mia. I don't know what else to say."

Hermione wiped away the cascading tears with the sweatshirt sleeve. "No… go to hospital and get fat! At least I can take solace in the fact that I'll always be thinner than you!"

Ginny looked at her in disbelief and hurt. "Whatever, Hermione. I'm sorry that you're too stubborn to get help with me. I'm going back to the apartment. Are you coming?"

Hermione didn't answer her but she started walking in the direction of Draco's apartment. They walked back in total silence except for the occasional hiccups on Hermione's end as she tried to stifle her tears. When they got there, they walked inside, locking the door behind them.

"We're back!"

No one came out to greet them and Ginny became worried. She walked down the hall, looking into each of the rooms until she saw the bathroom light on.

"Hello?"

Blaise looked over and opened the door wider so she could come in. "Hey, Ginny. How was your run?"

Ginny gasped when she saw the bruises imprinted on Blaise's face. She walked over to him and searched his eyes. "D-Did Draco do this to you?"

"It's not his fault… he need an outlet to take out his anger on. I would've rather he hurt me than you or Hermione."

She bit her lip and shook her head. "That's not fair, Blaise. He shouldn't have hurt you at all. He should've been able to control his anger."

He shrugged and started to clean up his broken lip. "Where's Hermione?"

Ginny sat down on the closed toilet seat, watching Blaise heal himself the best he could. "In the living room. Where's Draco?"

"Draco's in his room. He hasn't come out since I went to clean myself up. I guess he's feeling pretty bad."

"Well, good. He should feel bad about doing that to you. What if he hurts one of us?"

Blaise walked over to her and knelt down, taking her hand in his own. "I wouldn't let that happen. I'd kick him out until he calmed down. I would never let him lay a hand on you or Hermione."

Ginny smiled softly and nodded in understanding. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She felt his arms gently wrap around her body and she relaxed. When he pulled away now, he placed his hand on her cheek.

"Are you okay?"

Ginny bit her lip now and glanced down at her lap before looking up at him hesitantly. "I want to get better."

Blaise searched her hazel eyes. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yes, I don't want Cormac to be in my head forever. I want to be healthy like I used to be."

"Good for you, Ginny. What you're doing is smart, and I'm really proud of you for knowing that you need help. You're doing the right thing," Blaise said, smiling back at her.

"I-I know. I just wish Hermione would do it with me."

Blaise sighed softly and hugged her again. "I'm afraid it may be too late for her. We'll get her into hospital though, even if we have to drag her in there."

She nodded and stood up. "Do you want to watch TV?"

Blaise stood up as well. "Sure. After you."

Ginny lead him out of the bathroom and walked into the living room before sitting down on the couch, Blaise sitting beside her.

Meanwhile, Hermione saw Ginny coming into the living room and decided to go find Draco. She needed to be around someone. She needed a shoulder to cry on. Hermione walked down the hallway and tried the doorknob to Draco's room. When it opened, she entered slowly, surprised he hadn't locked it.

"D-Draco?"

Hermione looked around in the darkened room but didn't see him. Then, she heard water running. She walked towards the bathroom quickly and stopped at the half cracked door.

"Are you alright?"

Draco shut the water off and towel dried his hands, ridding himself of Blaise's blood from earlier. Hermione glanced at them to see his knuckles were bruises and there were still specks of stained blood on them.

"What do you want, Granger?" Draco asked as he shoved his hands in his pants pockets, noticing her looking at them.

Hermione ignored Draco's inability to call her by her first name and then grabbed one of his arms, trying to pull it out of his pocket. He struggled against her and tried to grab her hand with his free one.

"What are you doing? Let go!"

"No! I want to see your hand!"

Draco finally gave in and took out his blood specked hand to show her. "There. Are you happy now? Can you finally see what a monster I am!"

Hermione inspected his bruised knuckles now and already guessed what had happened. "You hurt him because you were angry at me," she said, matter-of-factly.

Draco sighed heavily and watched her, enjoying the feeling of her soft touch on his rough skin. He couldn't deny it because she was right but the truth coming out of her mouth just made the reality of it all that much more painful.

"I didn't want to hurt you. I've never hit a woman, and I don't plan to anytime soon. He knows… how I get sometimes, and he just… he understands me like no one else does. Blaise forgives me when I do it. He doesn't want me to hit you or Ginny either. I regret hurting him. He's my best mate, and… I hate myself for hurting him."

Hermione looked up at Draco, feeling like her problems weren't so bad compared to his own. She raised his hand she was still holding up towards her mouth and then gently kissed one of his knuckles softly.

Draco seemed to relax when she did this and then opened his hand as he gently placed it on her cheek before caressing it affectionately. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I don't want you to be afraid of me. I'd never, ever, hit you. I wouldn't let myself."

She nuzzled into his hand and smiled weakly. "Sometimes you can't help the things you can't control," she whispered, searching his emerald eyes.

Draco nodded, knowing she was referring to herself as well, but was amazed at how relevant it was.

"Do you want to sit down and talk?"

Hermione bit her lip nervously but nodded. He took her hand and lead her over to his bed before sitting down on it. She climbed up on the bed beside him and rested her head on his shoulder, finding comfort in his smell and his touch as he wrapped his arm around her protectively.

"How was your run?"

"Shit. Ginny wants to get better. She wants to get fat."

Draco felt his heart sink, hearing her sad and annoyed tone. "And you don't…"

She tried not to get upset at him like she always did when he mentioned her stubbornness when it came to not eating. "Can we please not talk about me right now? I don't want to fight with you anymore."

Draco ran his fingers through her wavy locks. "Okay. I'm sorry, go on."

"Well, Ginny and me had this huge fight outside and… I really felt like she was my support with this. I felt like we understood each other and that we were fighting the same fight. Now I feel…. betrayed and angry that she decided she wants to get better… get 'healthy" and… I feel so alone now, Draco. I feel like we were walking in the forest together, and we got so deep into it and she abandoned me."

Draco continued to caress her hair and then gently planted a kiss to her temple. "You don't have to feel alone. I'm with you, I want to help you the best I can."

"You're going to send me into hospital. That's not helping me. I don't need help."

Draco wanted so badly to yell and shout at her about needing help. She was so blind that she couldn't see the shape she was in.

"I'm not going to send you there yet. And… I hate to do this, but Blaise has a point. I can't force you to eat unless I jam the food down your throat. Can we make a compromise?"

Hermione looked up at him curiously. "What is it?"

"I'll let you do this. I'll let you exercise and keep your routines but… I'm going to weigh you once a week, randomly. If you dip below… 106 pounds, then you're going to have to cut down on the exercise and actually eat something until you get back up there."

Hermione looked at him and shook her head. "D-Draco, I literally cannot get to 106 pounds. I'm about 100 right now! I'd have to gain six more pounds…"

"I'm sorry, Hermione but… you don't have any fat on you. You barely have any muscle. You're decaying away and I can't just… be here and not do anything about it. If you get down to 95 pounds, you'll die. I really would feel better if you were 106 pounds."

Hermione swallowed hard and looked down. "102."

Draco bit his lip tenderly, not liking that she was negotiating her weight. "How about 104 pounds?"

She hesitated, the idea of gaining a whole 4 pounds terrified her to death. "103."

Draco shook his head now, cutting the line off. "No, I'm sorry, Hermione but that's too low too. 104 is my final offer or else… I'll have to send you to hospital tomorrow."

Hermione picked at the skin around her fingernails now, afraid to look at him. She didn't want to eat and she was going to have to in order to not be put in St. Mungos Hospital. "Fine. 104 then. I swear I'm going to cry when I'm eating though… I've done so good just… drinking water and swallowing vitamin pills. It's all gone down the drain now that I have to gain four pounds."

Draco gently lifted her chin up so she was forced to look at him. "It's okay. I'm going to help you do this, Hermione. You can cry if you need to, but… my place is better than the hospital, right?"

She nodded now but inside her stomach was twisting in a million knots.

"Good. Can you promise me you'll at least try to do it my way?"

"I'll try, but I don't know if I can promise that I'll be able to stick to it. Food scares me half to death."

Draco let go of her chin now and then wrapped both of his arms around her, breathing her in. She felt like a small child in his arms and felt queasy when he could feel her ribcage through the sweatshirt. He kissed her forehead and then her hair and held her to him.

Hermione bit her lip hard now, on the verge of crying. The more she thought about all the food she would have to eat, the more she wanted to cry. The tears filled her eyes and her body shook against his as she tried to hold back the tears that were coming.

Draco felt this and pulled her closer so she was sitting on his lap, making her easier to hold. "Go ahead… you can cry, Hermione. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

She clutched his tank top tightly in her one hand as she started to sob against him, all the events from the day just pouring out of her. Hermione melted into him, her cold body warming up the longer he held her. She didn't want this to end. She felt so safe and secure with him like this. Hermione cried into him, her tears falling from her face and onto his pale skin over and over again. Draco never moved the whole time and held her small frame until Hermione had cried herself to sleep. He pulled back on the bed covers and then tucked her in before he got under beside her and wrapped his arms around her again, holding her gently against him and soon falling asleep himself.

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**Please keep reviewing! I really want to know what you guys think and if I should keep going with it!**


	6. Confusion

Chapter Six: Confusion

Draco woke up the next morning, feelings a hand on his chest. He gently touched her hand with his own and caressed it softly. She stirred and opened her eyes in the dark, looking up at him to see his eyes were looking back at her.

"What time is it?"

Draco glanced at the clock on the bedside table and sighed. "It's only six-thirty. You should go back to sleep."

Hermione curled into his body but didn't close her eyes. "I'm not really tired anymore. Are you going to go back to sleep?"

"No, I don't think so. I used to get up around this time anyway before you and Ginny moved in. I'm a morning person," he smirked, kissing her forehead gently.

Hermione smiled and then sighed contently before she sat up and climbed out of the four poster bed. She looked down at her feet that were hiding in Draco's large pajama pants. She bit her lip and then looked at him.

"I need new clothes," she spoke in a timid voice.

He looked at her as he also got out of the bed and stretched. "We can go shopping for them today if you want. Do you want Ginny and Blaise to come with?"

Hermione nodded and felt her stomach rumble. She cursed herself, knowing that Draco could hear it from his side of the room. "Please don't say it," she pleaded.

"Say what?"

"Please don't ask me if I want something to eat."

Draco ran a hand through his messy hair and walked over to her. "You made a promise to me, that you would gain a little more weight, remember?"

Hermione felt her chest tightening uncomfortably and looked away, nodding. "I-I know, but… c-can we start tomorrow? I just… need a little more time."

He looked at her with almost disappointment in his eyes and this made her feel small again. Draco just nodded and started towards the bathroom.

"I'm going to go take a shower. Help yourself to some coffee or whatever you want, Hermione."

She watched him close the door and then shuffled out to the kitchen to make a full pot for everyone. Hermione looked in the living room to see Ginny lying in front of Blaise with his arms wrapped around her. She felt jealousy rise in her just by looking at her. Ginny wanted to get better, and therefore, that's why the boys seemed to like her more. It wasn't fair. It wasn't Hermione's fault she was like this. She didn't even think what she was doing was unhealthy. It was all about the mindset.

Hermione ran her hand through her messy hair and then waited for the pot to fill. She couldn't be like this. She couldn't cause drama between all of them, nor did she want to. Hermione knew she was envious of Ginny's willpower but knew that she had to be the better person and pretend like nothing was going on between them. She had to pretend to be normal.

When the coffee was done, she heard movement on the couch and assumed Ginny and Blaise were awake. Hermione poured two cups of the coffee and walked into the living room before handing them each a hot mug.

"Thank you, Hermione."

"Yeah, thanks," Ginny echoed, glancing up at Hermione but smiled weakly.

"You're welcome, guys."

Hermione walked back into the kitchen and poured herself a hot cup and held it in her hands, feeling alone and isolated. She felt like an outcast.

Draco finally came out a few minutes later and poured himself a cup. "Ginny and Blaise awake?"

"Y-Yeah…"

He walked over to where she was leaning against the counter and leaned against it as well. "Do you want to talk, Hermione?"

She shrugged, taking another sip. "I don't know. I'm… thinking about moving out. Ginny and I aren't close anymore, and I just don't like the way you and Blaise talk about me when I'm in the next room."

He edged closer to her. "Move? I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want you to keep trying to get pills, and starve yourself. I don't want you to die… I want to take care of you. Why won't you let me help you?"

"Because I'm a lost cause, Draco. I'm just wasting your time and a burden to everyone here."

Draco turned to stand in front of her, placing his free hand on her cheek. "Listen to me," he spoke in a gentle tone. "You're not wasting my time, and you're not a burden to anyone. I love you, and that's why I want to take care of you."

Hermione searched his eyes. "I don't want to be taken care of. I've been doing fine this far. I think I can make it on my own."

"If you go out there, you will die. Either by Harry's hand or by not eating, but either way, you will not make it."

Hermione sighed and looked down at her coffee. "It's great to know you have so much faith in me," she said sarcastically in a soft tone.

"I do have faith in you, Hermione. I believe in you, but I also believe that your safety is my first priority. I love you, and I selfishly don't want you to leave," he finished in a whisper.

Hermione looked up at him and searched his eyes, sensing that Draco was genuinely sincere. "I love you too, Draco."

He leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead before running his fingers through her caramel hair, lingering for as long as he could before he reluctantly pulled back.

"Do you want to try to eat something?"

Hermione swallowed hard, becoming nervous and then took a deep breath before finally nodding.

"Great, we should start with something small," he said as he gently lifted Hermione up and set her on the counter so she could be eye level with him.

She was surprised by this but smiled softly, although she couldn't dismiss the feeling like Draco was taking care of a child. It bothered her that she was so childish and that she was so stubborn that she wouldn't even eat anything, and he had to make her. Hermione looked over and saw he had an apple and was cutting it in small, thin slices.

She began to pick at the skin around her nails to distract herself from being anxious. "Have you had any girlfriends besides Ginny since school ended?"

"Would it bother you if I did?"

She shrugged. "No, I guess not. I'm just curious."

Draco placed the apple slices in a bowl and walked over to her, standing between her legs as he held out the bowl. "There have been a couple women. It was… just sex though, no real relationship or commitment to them. How about you? Have you been with anyone since school ended?"

Hermione hesitantly reached out and grabbed the bowl and looked down at the pieces. "No relationships. It was just about sex. It… was just business," she said quietly, suddenly feeling ashamed.

Draco reached out and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ears. "We all do things we're not proud of. I don't think less of you because of the men you've had sex with. That doesn't matter to me. Not now, not now that I finally have you. You're beautiful, and smart, and nothing you say or do will make me love you any less."

Hermione blushed slightly and then tenderly grabbed a slice of apple before putting it to her lips. She looked at Draco who smiled at her lovingly, and had a split moment of indecision before she finally bit a piece of the apple off and started chewing it.

"Apples don't have many calories. Don't worry, love."

She nodded gratefully and swallowed before biting into another chunk. "Ginny will never forgive me. She hates me."

Draco looked over at Ginny and Blaise who were talking easily and laughing occasionally before looking back at Hermione. "Nah, she doesn't hate you. She just wants you to get better, just like me and Blaise do. She'll forgive you when she sees you eating again."

Hermione placed another piece to her lips, feeling a lot less nervous about eating the apples now and felt it almost come naturally to her. She was quiet for awhile, lost in her thoughts.

Draco noticed her marked sliced only interrupted by the quiet chewing of the apples. He placed his hands on her slim thighs, gently thumbing them affectionately. "Sickle for your thoughts, love?"

She set the bowl down beside her, enjoying his soft touch on her thighs that were not in danger of touching for a long time. "Do you think it's odd that Cormac hasn't come back? We haven't even gotten Ginny's divorce papers."

He sighed and looked down. "It is a bit strange he hasn't come back… but maybe we should go get the papers so Ginny can sign them. Do you want to come with me? We can do it before we go get you some clothes."

She smiled now and leaned in, kissing his cheek. "I'd love to come with you."

Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione, breathing in all of her. It somehow made him relax a bit. He felt her relax as well and felt relieved. He pulled away and kissed her lips.

"Do you want to see if Ginny will lend you a pair of her clothes for today? I'm going to go get ready."

Hermione nodded squeamishly, not wanting to ask Ginny for anything after their fight they had had outside. Once he disappeared from the kitchen, she slowly walked over to Ginny who was leaning against Blaise, his arm around her. When she saw Hermione, her demeanor changed and Ginny looked up at her with annoyance laced in her brown eyes.

"D-Do… you think I could… umm… borrow some clothes? It'd just… be for today and I'll wash them and get them back to you," Hermione spoke delicately to her, waiting for rejection.

Ginny looked at Blaise who motioned with his eyes to help Hermione out. She sighed heavily and stood up, waving to Hermione to follow her. She followed Ginny down the hallway to the guest room and saw Ginny's suitcase there on the bed.

"I just… need jeans and a shirt…"

Ginny dug through the case before grabbing a pair of dark blue jeans and a long-sleeved purple shirt. She handed it to Hermione. "It'll probably be a little big, but it should fit you okay. You always were thinner than me."

Hermione was about to protest but Ginny turned on her heel and walked out of the room, leaving her alone. She shut the door softly and then started to change into Ginny's jeans first. Ginny was right; the jeans were loose on Hermione thin frame and she felt uncomfortably huge in them but she wasn't picky right now. She'd soon have her own clothes and she'd be able to feel thin again. She scrounged around the suitcase for deodorant and used it, not caring if Ginny knew or not at this point. She put it back in its place before putting on the long sleeved shirt. Hermione walked over to the mirror and took a deep breath before looking at herself, pulling the sleeves over her hands.

Once she had the courage to walk out of the room, she walked into the bathroom that wasn't being used and gingerly stepped on the scale.

_ 99.5_.

Hermione ran her fingers through her hair and whimpered. "Shit… damn it…"

Now she was going to have to gain seven pounds instead of six in order to stay out of the hospital. She stepped off the scale and tried to fight the tears that were threatening to fall. Hermione took a deep breath again and tried to relax. She couldn't let Draco know about this. He'd become overbearing and hound her to eat more.

She felt so out of control in this whole situation. Hermione felt like she had no control over anything anymore, and she hated this feeling more than anything. Her chest tightened now and she suddenly began to breathe harder. She walked over to the medicine cabinet and rummaged through everything until she found Draco's shaving kit. She opened it and saw a silver blade. Hermione grabbed it quickly before putting the kit back and sat on the floor, needing to feel in control again.

She rolled up her left sleeve, revealing her pale frail arms that were stained with faint scars from mistakes past. Hermione slowly dragged the cold metal across her skin of her wrist, deep enough to feel pain, but not too deep to kill her. The pain felt oddly comforting as it made her need to catch her breath and after she felt better, she heard a knock at the door.

"Hermione? Are you in there?"

She looked down at her bleeding wrist and cursed herself. She tried to think quickly, whispering a spell to make the bleeding stop. Once it did, all that was left was a clean looking cut and she rolled her sleeve back down.

"Yeah! I'll be right out, Draco! I'm just brushing my hair…"

She heard footsteps walk away from the bathroom and she relaxed again, making her hair look presentable and as tame as she could make it. She walked out of the bathroom and then over to Draco who was waiting at the door.

"Ready, baby?"

Hermione smiled and nodded, following him out of the apartment. After they made it outside, he took her hand and apparated them inside the building of the Ministry of Magic. He walked with her until he stopped in front of a door that read: Department of Domestic Affairs.

"Do you want to stay out here? It'll just take a minute."

She nodded and sat down on a nearby bench outside the office as Draco went inside it. She heard faint voices and then looked around, feeling uneasy by the lack of people in the hallway. Hermione heard footsteps now and looked down the end of the hall to see Cormac. She hadn't seen him since school but it was difficult to mistake him for anyone else. He was tall and was wearing an expensive business suit that hugged his body.

"Granger… fancy seeing you here."

Hermione debated what she should do right now. Should she call for Draco? What would he do? She bit her lip and looked up at Cormac as he hovered over her now with intense, dark eyes that feigned friendliness.

"W-What do you want, Cormac?"

He smirked and then sat down beside her on the bench, resting his arm on the back of it. "I don't want anything, Granger. Why would you ask such a thing?"

She scooted over away from him but he scooted closer to her and she could now smell his strong cologne. Hermione looked down at her lap, trying not to look at him. She knew the smart thing would be to yell for Draco but she felt weak, and couldn't find her voice.

"How is Ginny doing?" Cormac placed his free hand on her leg now, caressing it roughly.

She let out a soft cry out of pain and then looked up at him. "Don't you dare ask me how she's doing while you have your hand on my leg, Cormac. You're a scumbag."

Cormac leaned in closer now and then whispered in her ear. "You really shouldn't talk like that to me, Granger. I have pull around here, and I know that your dirty little secret. You're a walking skeleton and you don't want help, but I can easily have you put in hospital with a flick of my wrist. I know people and I could just say one thing and you'll be put in there so fast it'll make your head spin."

Hermione felt herself shiver as he spoke the words against her skin. He was still dangerously close to her now and she didn't like it but couldn't find the courage to push him off.

"Hey! Get away from her!"

Cormac reacted quickly and stood up, glaring at Draco with a smirk. "I was just telling Granger what a beautiful and magnificent woman she is…"

Draco motioned for Hermione to come over to him, and she did so quickly and willingly, hiding behind him. He glared back darkly at Cormac.

"You better hope you like the single life, Cormac. Ginny won't be coming back to you ever again. I have the divorce papers in my hand now and after she signs it, if you so much speak to her in a menacing way, she can legally have you arrested for stalking."

Hermione held Draco's hand tightly and he gently squeezed hers in reassurance that she was safe.

"I'll find someone else. You can't save every woman from me, Malfoy. We both know you're not a saint."

"I may not be able to save every woman from you, but I can protect the ones who are my friends," Draco said before he started to lead Hermione the opposite way down the hall away from Cormac but looked over his shoulder every so often.

Cormac chuckled and Hermione heard it echo down the empty hallway. "It's a good thing you don't have many friends then!"

Draco ignored him and continued out of Cormac's sight until they were both outside. He stopped walking and turned to Hermione, eyeing her up and down cautiously.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

Hermione shook her head and knew she should feel better but she could still smell Cormac's sick smell. "I-I'm fine, Draco."

He nodded in understanding, knowing she was shaken from the encounter. "Do you want to go home or do you still want to go get your clothes?"

She bit her lip and made an attempt to relax herself. "C-Can we still get me clothes?"

"Of course," Draco nodded again. "Let's go, Hermione."

He took her hand again and then apparated her into Hogsmeade, walking towards Gladrags Wizardwear. They walked inside and Hermione started looking anxious, worried about the price. She glanced over at the jeans rack and felt Draco's breath on her neck.

"Don't worry about the price. I'll get it for you."

Hermione reluctantly nodded and then walked over to the rack, looking through the jeans for a size double zero and then decided on a zero instead. She was going to gain some weight while living with Draco so she had to plan accordingly. She looked at the price tag and flinched although she was well aware Draco had more than enough to pay for it.

About twenty minutes later and three new pairs of jeans as well as several shirts, Draco and Hermione had paid for the clothes and started walking home. They walked in a comfortable silence before Draco looked over at Hermione.

"What did Cormac say to you, baby?"

Hermione bit her lip hard and looked up at him, continuing to walk towards Draco's apartment. "He… he said basically if I said anything bad to him, he'd put me in hospital. He was saying how he knew people and… I don't know. That was pretty much all he said. It just… creeped me out. Why do you ask?"

Draco took her hand with the hand that wasn't holding the bag and gently thumbed her hand with his. "I was just curious. I didn't know if he was sexually harassing you or what. I'm sorry I was in the office for so long."

Hermione shrugged. "It's okay. It couldn't have been more than several minutes. Did you get the papers?"

"Yeah, they're in my pants pocket. All Ginny has to do is sign them and I can give them back to the office we were just at. She'll finally be free from Cormac."

Hermione smiled casually. "Good, she'll like that. I think she found someone else to love."

Draco glanced at Hermione again. "Who?"

"Blaise… you didn't see him holding her? They were cuddling on the couch."

Draco looked a bit uneasy now and sighed, walking up the stairs to the apartment when they reached it. "I was afraid of that."

She looked at him curiously now. "What do you mean? What's so bad about them being in love?"

"Well it could be a problem if they really aren't in love. Ginny isn't looking for a relationship right now. She just wants to feel protected and safe, and she feels those things with Blaise. It could be a problem if… he's in love with her, and getting the wrong idea," he said apprehensively. "I really don't want her to hurt him. Blaise is a good man, and a good friend. It's bad enough I already physically hurt him."

Hermione bit her lip in worry and felt guilty for bringing it up to Draco. She was quiet as he opened the door and walked inside, closing it behind her before looking at Blaise and Ginny who were still cuddling on the couch.

"Ginny, can I talk to you for a minute?" Draco asked, nodded to Hermione as if to tell her she could go to her room to change. After she did, he looked back at Ginny.

"Go ahead, Draco."

He cleared his throat impatiently now. "Alone."

Blaise looked at Draco with a stern expression. "Whatever you have to say, just say it here. I'm not leaving and she's not either."

Draco rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. "No, I just want to talk to her for a minute. Please, Blaise."

Ginny looked at Blaise. "It's alright. It'll just be a few minutes."

He kissed the top of her head and stood up before walking down the hall towards Ginny's room where Hermione was.

"What the hell are you doing, Ginny? You don't love him."

She repositioned herself on the couch and looked at Draco with an unreadable expression. "I kind of love him. I can't explain it."

Draco walked closer to her. "Well I can. You love the protection he gives you. You're scared, and you have every right to be, but you're going to break his heart!"

"No, I won't. He doesn't love me like that. He's just a good friend, Draco."

"He is a good friend, to me! I'm pretty damn sure that he thinks you're falling in love with him, and you're not. You're confused because you feel safe with him and you don't know how to act. He's had his heart broken more times than I can count and I swear that it breaks him a little more every time. Don't add to that. He doesn't need to deal with that shit."

Ginny looked sad and her eyes were full of confusion, unsure how she felt now. She brought her legs to her chest and wrapped her thin arms around them, looking empty. Draco was starting to wish he never said anything but knew it was for both of their own good. He sighed and walked over to Ginny before he knelt down in front of her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm just telling you how I feel about you two. I just don't want you to hurt him if you don't truly love him."

Ginny remained silent now and in her same, statuesque state. Draco sighed and stood up now before going down the hall to where Blaise was, leaning against the bathroom door but straightening up when he saw Draco coming his way.

"You can go back to her now."

He searched Draco's face. "What did you say to her, man?"

"Nothing that didn't need to be said," he answered simply before opening Ginny's bedroom door and closing it behind him, seeing Hermione already changed into her new clothes, Ginny's clothes folded on the bed.

"How did she react when you talked to her?"

Draco stroked Hermione's hair softly. "I think she sees the reality of how she's acting with Blaise, and I think she realizes that she's not really in love with him. She's really confused though about what's going on between her and Blaise. I don't think she realized that she could be unintentionally leading him on."

She leaned against Draco, breathing him in. "Do you think you're confused about how you feel about us? Maybe you think you love me, but mistaking it for something else…"

He wrapped his arm around her and forced her chin up to look at him. "I could never mistake what we have or how I feel about you. I love you, and I always have. I always will. I know that what we have is genuine and I wouldn't want anyone else."

She kissed Draco's lips lovingly and then climbed into his lap before wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and held her, kissing her neck.

Blaise walked out over to Ginny and sat down beside her. "Do you want to talk? What did he say to you?"

She tried to avoid looking at him as she sniffled, trying not to cry. "Umm… I'm… I'm tired. I-I think I'm just going to go t-to sleep."

Blaise felt his stomach twist in knots. "Do… you want me to come with you?"

She quickly shook her head and stood up. "N-No… I'm…. I'm just going to go to bed alone…"

"Did I do or say something, Ginny? What did I do?"

She finally looked at him now and couldn't hide the tears anymore. "I-I'm sorry, Blaise… I know it's stupid and cliché but it honestly really is me and not you. I-It's not what you're doing. It's what I-I am."

With that, she hurried down the hall and burst into her room but stopped when she saw Draco holding Hermione.

"I-I'm sorry… I just… I was g-going to go t-to bed…"

Draco easily lifted Hermione up. "Don't be sorry, Ginny. You sleep. This is your room. Hermione can sleep with me tonight."

Ginny swallowed back a sob as she nodded, grabbed the suitcase and close and threw them off the bed before climbing in, fully clothed. Draco carried Hermione out of the room and softly closed the bedroom door.

"Are you tired?"

Hermione nodded into his shoulder, still holding onto him securely.

"Me too. It's been a long day for all of us. I'm going to have some tea first and tuck you in first."

"Okay," she said tiredly.

Draco laid her on the bed and took off her jeans but left her t-shirt on so she didn't feel too bare. He covered her with the heavy comforter and kissed her forehead. "I'll go to bed in a little while. Sleep tight."

"Goodnight, Draco…"

As she drifted off to sleep, Draco crept out of his room and into the living room where Blaise sat on the couch, smoking a cigarette in the silence.

He took the cigarette from him and crushed it in the ashtray on the coffee table. "Those things are going to kill you, Blaise."

Blaise didn't object to his cigarette being taken away from him. He usually smoked outside and he could understand why Draco didn't want him smoking in the apartment with the girls being in here.

"Ginny's upset, and I think it's my fault."

Draco walked into the kitchen and turned the burner on under the kettle before getting out two mugs. "It's my fault, Blaise. It's because of what I said to her. She's upset because of me."

He looked at him and tried to remain calm. "What did you say to her?"

Draco ran a hand through his hair in exhaustion and looked at Blaise. "She just was using you for protection. She felt protected when she was near you. She doesn't love you and she's confused. She doesn't know what love is. Cormac screwed her up in that area. He made her think that being abused meant that he loved her, and now that she's alone, she feels safety in your arms. I just didn't want you to hurt anymore, Blaise."

The tea kettle screamed and Draco shut the burner off before pouring water over the teabags in the mugs, causing the water to become a yellowish-green color. He took the mugs and walked over to Blaise before handing him is.

"I don't know what to say. What am I supposed to say? It was… weird between us. I don't know. It felt like she was using me. She never kissed me. I feel like an idiot."

Draco took a sip of his tea. "Don't, it's alright, man. She's just feeling a little messed up right now. I'm hoping that Hermione and Ginny will become friends again so she's not so alone anymore. And I'm here for you."

Blaise took a drink from his own tea and smiled weakly. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

"I know you do," Draco smirked. "You know, I think maybe you should stay with Ginny tonight, so she's protected from Cormac in case he decides to apparate inside her room. Don't get under the covers; that might send her the wrong message."

Blaise nodded in understanding. "Okay. How's Hermione doing?"

"I think she's doing better. I have to weigh her tomorrow morning. She's eating, at least. I'm still worried about her but she hates when I'm overbearing. I just want her to be healthy."

Blaise took another sip of tea. "It's difficult, but I think once Hermione and Ginny resolve their problems, Ginny can help her eat some more and gain weight. Don't worry, Draco. Everything will work itself out."

Draco chuckled now. "You sound like me. You've suddenly become optimistic about things."

He shrugged. "Well… sometimes you're right, Draco. I believe you. I really do believe that things will be okay in the end."

Draco patted his friend's shoulder and the two sat in a comfortable silence in the living room, embracing the calm before the storm.

* * *

I'm sorry about having to deleting it and adding it again. I'm only just noticing typos in the chapter so I think I got them all now. I'm sorry again!


	7. One Life, One Love

**A/N:** I made up some things in this chapter. Don't persecute me for them. It just goes with my plot. I am aware these things did not really happen in the books.

** Heather Malfoy** - Thank you for that :) Just pretend I didn't say that about Draco's eyes in the past chapters. I meant to switch it but doing that now would mean deleting the chapter, fixing it, uploading the chapter all over again, blah blah blah. I do appreciate your comments though!

** phantasyphoenix** - I shouldn't do anything to them? But that's the best part! That brings conflict and conflict brings drama! haha. Thank you for you review!

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Chapter Seven: One Life, One Love

/ / /

Hermione opened her eyes sluggishly and her thoughts instantly shot to her weigh in today that Draco wanted to do. She was terrified and she had the tightness in her chest to prove it. She knew it was ridiculous to be so nervous about it but she didn't want to see the disappointment in Draco's eyes again. She heard her stomach growl hungrily inside her but ignored it. Hermione just lay in bed, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes as she felt a gentle nudge on her shoulder.

"I know you're awake, Hermione. Come on, love… we need to it."

Draco's voice was soft and comforting but it did little to ease her nervousness. "I-I'm scared… I'm so scared, D-Draco," her voice shook, her tears finally escaping.

He sat on the bed and placed a hand on her back. "I know this must be really hard for you, but I just need to know how much you weigh right now."

"B-But you're g-going to be m-mad…."

"I won't be upset, baby. I'm just going to mark it down and then we can move on with the rest of the day. I won't make a huge ordeal out of it. I promise, honey."

Hermione turned around now and wiped away her tears before sitting up and gradually getting out of the bed. Draco took her hand in his and led her towards the bathroom. She felt her heart pounding against her ribcage with every step she took. She walked on the cold floor as if she was walking to her death, and she felt like she might be.

Once they got there, Hermione stopped outside of the bathroom and let Draco go in first. She looked at the scale wearily before he gestured her inside.

"Come on, baby. It's alright, come inside."

She slowly walking inside and took a deep breath, watching him conjure up a notepad and a pencil. She hated this. She hated being afraid of a stupid scale. To most people, scales meant nothing and they paid no mind to them but to Hermione, scales determined her entire being. They ran her life and gave her the sense of some control. Scales determined how she would feel the rest of the day.

"Come on, Hermione," Draco pressed, gradually becoming a little less patient now. "Step on the scale. It'll be done in five seconds."

Hermione heard the coldness in his voice and gingerly stepped inside and then stepped on the scale, closing her eyes and waiting for Draco to say something.

"Alright, you can step down now."

Hermione stepped off and looked at Draco curiously. "H-How much?"

Draco sighed and leaned against the bathroom sink. "I'm deciding not to tell you how much weigh when we do this. If you gain, you'll freak out and… I don't want that. I just want you to assume that you're under the weight you promised me you'd get to every time you step on that scale."

Hermione shook her head. "That's not fair, Draco! You have to tell me!"

"I'm sorry, but I think this is for the best. It may not be fair to you, but it's either my way, or… the hospital, Hermione."

Hermione felt angry and hurt. "Don't threaten me, Draco. You know, you can't keep me away from that scale forever. I'll get on it and find out how much I weigh."

Draco walked over to her. "Blaise and I will work in shifts. If you love me, you'll stay away from the goddamn scale, Hermione! It's just a scale! You can't live your life around it! And believe you me, it wasn't a threat. If you refuse to work with me on getting you better, I will drive you to the hospital myself!"

Hermione pushed him but it didn't make him move. "You don't understand! You say you do, but you don't! You never will!"

She started to walk away from him but he grabbed her arm roughly. "Don't you dare tell me I don't understand! You know about my sister! You know what both of us went through!"

Hermione winced in pain as Draco held her arm and struggled to get away from him. "Stop it! Let me go!"

Draco grabbed her small arm harder and sent her almost to her knees in agony as she cried out. "No! Don't you dare turn your back on me! I'm trying to help you so don't you fucking bring my sister into this shit!"

"Oww! Damn it, Draco! Let go!"

Suddenly Draco heard fast moving footsteps and saw Blaise grab Draco and shove him away from Hermione, forcing him to let her arm go finally, but still leaving her to cry on the floor.

"What the fuck, Draco? What the hell are you doing?"

He glared past Blaise at Hermione but he got in the way again. Blaise stared at Draco almost menacingly. "Talk to me! Tell me what's going on!"

"Get the hell away from me, Blaise. You don't need to be involved. She wants to be a stubborn bitch about this… fine, let her be a stubborn bitch. It'll be too late before she finally learns."

Draco stormed out of the bathroom quickly and headed down the hall. Hermione watched him leave and felt pain in her heart as she continued to cry, feeling so alone now. He was right; she was stubborn and she was being a bitch, but she couldn't help it. She literally could not, or else she would. Hermione hit her hand down on the floor hard in frustration and started doing it over and over, a little harder each time until her skin broke and bled. Blaise hurried over to her side and grabbed her arms gently to stop her.

"Hermione! Hermione stop!"

She didn't struggle against him as she sobbed, wishing that she could rewind time and not have caused Draco to yell at her. Blaise gently rocked her in his arms comfortingly, feeling her body melt against him.

"It's okay… Draco is just… frustrated because he feels helpless and he doesn't want the same thing that happened to his sister to happen to you."

Hermione didn't say anything and looked down at the tiled floor in embarrassment and then sadness. It filled her up like darkness in a room and she slowly ceased her crying, occasionally hiccupping though. Blaise caressed her hair soothingly and stood up before holding out his hand.

"Come on, sweetie. Let's go do something."

Hermione glanced at his hand and hesitantly took it and stood up but then brought her arms around herself. She just wanted to be alone. She wanted to forget about what Draco said and did, but knew the bruises that were already forming on her arms would take days to go away. She swallowed back a sob and then walked herself back to Draco's room and buried herself under the covers.

Blaise bit his lip but didn't follow her. She'd feel better later. He walked down the hall to the living room, seeing Draco sitting there beside Ginny. He plopped himself down beside her.

"Hey… what are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, Draco and I were just going through the divorce papers. I have to sign the pages, and then I'll be free," Ginny smiled softly at him.

Blaise nodded. "That's good, Ginny," he said, surprised at how natural she sounded. They were talking like nothing ever happened with Hermione minutes ago.

Draco laid the papers on the table with a pen and x'd the places she had to sign before clearing his throat and tapped her shoulder. "Go ahead, Gin."

She signed the appropriate places and signed where the x's were. While she was doing this, Draco looked over at Blaise and smirked slightly before placing his hand on Ginny's back. Blaise felt a tinge of anger light up inside him. Draco had a girlfriend but he was able to touch Ginny without a second though? It wasn't fair, but he was almost afraid to call Draco out on it. He didn't want to get hurt again like he had last week, regardless of how much Hermione felt like the sister he never had. It was selfish, Blaise knew, but if he couldn't be in right physical shape, then he couldn't help her. He sensed that Draco was smirking because he knew this truth.

"Alright, I think I signed all the places…"

Draco took the divorce folder from her and double checked it, flipping through the individual pages. When he finished, he looked up at Blaise. "Why don't you take Ginny with you to the Ministry to the Department of Domestic Affairs, and I'll go check on Hermione?"

Blaise nodded hesitantly but stood up with Ginny before taking the folder out of his mate's hands and then apparated the two of them out of the apartment. Draco sighed and running a hand through his hair, he walked down the hall to his room. He walked over to her side of the bed and crouched down, seeing her eyes were open.

"Go away…"

"Come on Hermione, I'm sorry," he replied in a soft voice.

Hermione was silent as she just rolled over, hugging the comforter tightly to her body, just wanting the world to go away if she had to gain weight. She didn't want to look into his grey eyes because she knew she would become weak and succumb to him. Hermione couldn't forgive him for hurting her arm, not yet anyway.

"Fine," Draco spit, standing up abruptly. "You made me so angry! What the hell is wrong with you? We were doing so great and now it's like you want me to yell at you! It's like you want to suffer! Fine then! I'll fucking let you suffer, Hermione!"

Hermione jumped and winced at his hurtful words but didn't turn to face him. She heard him stomp out of the room and slam the door before hearing him pound on it once with his fist. She didn't move until she was sure he was gone and then she whimpered softly. He didn't care about her. She was just a big burden to him. Hermione was just making him go through this whole thing all over again. She was making him relive the memory.

_"You worthless slag! I'm ashamed to call you my daughter! You're not even that! You're just a bag of useless bones! You bring shame and disappointment to everyone around you!"_

Hermione listened to her father's words in her mind but heard it come out in her own voice. Her father had been right. She was worthless. She did bring shame and disappointment to those around her. She couldn't do anything right.

She stood up and lightly touched the floor with her bare feet. She tiptoed out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom Draco had forgotten to assign shifts to. Hermione closed the door and locked it before going over to the scale she dreaded just hours earlier. She stepped on it and forced herself to look at the number.

_100.00_.

Her mind spun. Hermione tried to convince herself there was no way she could have gained that much overnight. She hadn't eaten a lot of the apples he had peeled for her. How on earth could she have gained that much in so little time? She felt her breathing become heavy with panic and despair. She ran her fingers through her hair and suddenly felt several strands wrap around her fingers as she ran her hand out from the bottom. She looked at it. Her hair was falling out! Why was it falling out? She felt the world crashing down before her eyes and felt helpless and scared. Hermione hurried to the medicine cabinet and pulled out Draco's razor kit. Pulling one out quickly, she rolled up her sleeve and slid the blade down her wrist hard, not thinking straight in her sadness and anger.

The room started to spin and her whole arm felt numb. She watched the blood dropping on the sink and onto the floor, staining it. She dropped the razor and felt her whole body becoming weak, noises became further away. She leaned against the wall and suddenly fell to the floor, feeling her life literally being drained from the slit on her arm as blood pooled around her.

"Hermione? Let me in! Open the door, Hermione!"

_Draco. _

His voice sounded so far away. She tried to cry out for it but no sound came out of her mouth. She soon fell into a dark abyss and everything disappeared.

/ / / / /

"She was very lucky, Mr. Malfoy. The survival rate for anorexics are usually, and unfortunately, very slim."

Silence.

"She's getting better. I'm taking care of her."

"Mr. Malfoy, she's only at 100 pounds. For someone with her height and age, she should weigh somewhere between 120 and… 130 pounds. She's severely malnourished."

Silence again.

"I know. I said I was taking care of her. I'm aware of the… the situation. Just please, let me help her. She refuses hospital care right now."

Hermione slowly opened her eyes but closed them again when the bright lights hit her pupils. She waited a bit and started to open them again until she saw Draco's back.

"If she drops below 98, you will be legally required to send her here with us where we can look after her properly. You weigh her five times a week and write down the weights. At the end of each week, you will owl them to us. Is that clear?"

"Y-Yes. Yes, sir. Thank you…"

Blaise put his hands in his pockets nervously and glanced at Hermione whose eyes were open and looking around. He let out a sigh of relief. "Draco… look, man."

Draco turned around quickly and breathed his own sigh of utter relief. "Oh thank Merlin. Hermione… I-I'm sorry…"

Hermione looked from Draco to Blaise, and then back to Draco, searching his red eyes, a sign he had been crying earlier. "It's okay," she whispered.

She looked down at her bandaged wrist and then at her arms that had tubes tapped to her skin. Hermione started to panic, the beeping on the heart monitor increasing as she looked around for a nutrition bag.

Draco took her face in his hands and forced her gently to look at her. "Shh, it's alright. It's okay, baby. They didn't hook you up to any nutrition bags. I told them not to."

Hermione looked at him, starting to relax again. "T-Thank you," she replied quietly. She covered her arms with the blanket now, feeling vulnerable with the white bandage on her wrist. She was quiet for awhile before looking at Blaise. "I-Is Ginny here?"

Blaise ran his hand over his neck and then shoved it back in his pocket, looking anxious. "Umm… yeah, actually. She went to get me and Draco coffee. Erm… excuse me. I-I… I just need some fresh air."

Draco watched his friend leave the area and then turned to a confused Hermione. "Blaise has had some bad experiences in hospitals."

Hermione's curiosity intensified and she searched his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Draco glanced at the door Blaise had gone out of, as if he expected Blaise to be watching or trying to overhear something. "He has depression. He's had it since I've known him. Blaise's father used to beat him and his mum when he was thirteen. He always feared going home for Christmas break. He takes pills for it but sometimes… it just hits him hard. When he was fifteen, his mum passed away and… he tried to kill himself. I pretty much saved him too,"

Hermione suddenly felt selfish and pitiful. She felt sick, but she waited for Draco to go on. He was beginning to look uncomfortable now and he ran a hand through his blonde hair.

"Sixteen, he tried to overdose on some pills while we were in Hogsmeade. I didn't get to him in time but… someone else did and… he went to the hospital wing. He had his stomach pumped out. I… didn't understand why he kept doing it but I was there with him each time. He hates hospitals because of all the visits he had himself. I guess if you're in there long enough, it can… have that effect on you."

Hermione smiled sympathetically and bit her lip. She felt like saying she was sorry for doing what she did, but she wasn't. Draco didn't realize what effect his words had on her, and she feared he never would. She didn't want to be the burden he had to bear and take care of. He didn't want to be his sister.

"How long am I here for?"

Draco was slightly disappointed in her off-topic question but he knew she deserved to know. "Umm… they want to keep you here for a week… for observation."

Hermione nodded in understanding and then picked at the skin around her nails. "How close was I?"

He looked up at her now, his eyebrows furrowed. "How close you were to death? Too close, Hermione. Why? Why did you do this?"

She bit her lip and looked away from him. "Because…. of you. Because you're frustrated and impatient with me, and you don't deserve to have a burden like me in your apartment. I think I might… just check myself out and… leave."

Draco rubbed his tired eyes and leaned closer to her. "Hermione, you're not a burden to me. I'm sorry that I get impatient sometimes but… it feels like it did with my sister Emily, and… I don't want you to die," he choked up. "I-I don't want you to d-die like she did… I love y-you. I love y-you so much and I-I feel so h-helpless…"

She felt herself tear up now and felt horrible as tears ran down his pale cheeks. "I'm sorry, D-Draco. I just… I-I don't think you can help me. I don't want to cause you a-anymore pain."

He gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her ears and cleared his throat to try to compose himself. "I want to try. I promise to be more patient, Hermione.. p-please… don't leave me alone. I love you. You're my life now. I don't want you to leave."

Hermione wiped away her rogue tears and sniffled. "I love you too, Draco. I just don't want you to get angry at me again…"

Draco swallowed hard and glanced at her bruises arm where he had grabbed her and took a sudden breath in. He was surprised the doctor hadn't asked him about that. He knew it was probably coming though.

"I won't. I'm not going to hurt you again," he said in a whisper, not wanting the doctors to overhear him. "I'll be back in about twenty minutes. I'm just going to go make sure that Blaise is alright. If Ginny comes back, just tell her we're outside and we'll be up."

"Okay, I will. Draco… I-I'm sorry… about doing what I did. I just… I felt so horrible after what you said to me."

Draco kissed her lips and then stood up. "It's okay. You don't have to explain yourself to me. I love you and that's all that matters."

She smiled softly and nodded. "Thank you."

Hermione watched as he smiled back and then walked away from her bed. She watched the doctors and nurses go from bed to bed around her, looking at charts and such. She looked at her wrist again and tried to move her fingers but flinched, feeling a lightning shot of pain in her wrist. They must have given her stitches.

"Hey, where'd the boys go?"

Hermione looked up and saw Ginny. "Oh, umm… Draco went outside to make sure Blaise is okay. He… hates hospitals."

Ginny nodded and then sat down beside her, handing her a styrofoam cup of coffee. "I thought you might need it."

She reached out and carefully took it. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ginny took a sip and looked at her. "You need to get out of here, Mia. You need to get better so you can go back home."

Hermione sighed tiredly. "I know. I'm trying but they want to keep me here for observation. They're not going to let me out early for good behavior."

"I know, I'm just saying. Even when you come back home, you need to get better. Like I have. I know that you're sick of hearing this but… Jesus, Hermione… I don't want you to die."

She looked up at Ginny who was looking desperately at her. "I'm not going to die. I have too much to live for. I don't… want to die… anymore. I tried to kill because of Draco. How pathetic is that, Ginny? I tried to kill myself over a boy. But it really wasn't as black and white as that. I tried to do it because of what he said to me. I deserved it, I know I did, but… his words stung."

Ginny rested her arms on her knees and looked at her. "Let me help you too. Let Blaise help you. For your sake, let Draco help you. We can all help you get healthy, Hermione. We need each other. We need you."

Hermione took another sip of coffee. "Please don't do that, Ginny. I'm too weak to be your cure. I'm not strong like you. I can't just snap my fingers and get better like you did."

"I didn't get better overnight, Mia. Blaise has been helping me and I've been seeing a therapist once a week. I'm not all better yet. There are days when I just want to exercise until I can't move but I fight it. I don't let myself fall back into those habits."

Hermione set the coffee down and took the blankets off her naked legs. She examined them and saw that they were so skinny that they barely took up any space at all on the bed. She looked up at Ginny. "I'm scared of getting better. I like how I am now… but I still feel fat."

"You're beautiful, Mia. It's difficult to see how beautiful you are unless someone else tells you. You need to gain a little bit of weight or you really will die. I've gained four pounds since I told you that I wanted to get better. I look at you and I want to cry…"

Hermione covered her legs back up and lay back down. She didn't know what to say to this. It made her feel bad all over again, but she knew there was some truth to what Ginny was talking about. She turned over on her other side, her back facing away from Hermione and she just closed her eyes. She heard Ginny get up about five minutes later and walk away.

Draco was coming back inside with Blaise but met Ginny on the way in. "Gin, where are you going?"

Ginny turned to look at him, still nursing her coffee. "Hermione's asleep. She doesn't want me there. I can just sense it. I think I'm going to go back to the apartment."

Draco glanced at Blaise. "Wait, let Blaise take you back. I can stay here and watch over Hermione."

Ginny shrugged but nodded. "Alright, that sounds good."

Blaise sighed but then apparated Ginny to the apartment before sitting down on the couch with her.

"What made you think she didn't want you around?"

"I tried talking to her about getting better but she sort of just ignored me the whole time. Then she turned over and fell asleep. She doesn't want to get better."

Blaise wrapped his arm around her shoulders and then looked at Ginny before kissing her temple and lingered there before turning the tv on.

After Blaise and Ginny left, Draco walked upstairs and sat down in the chair beside Hermione's bed and ran his hands through his hair again, watching her as she slept. He looked at the bandage and was reminded of the pain he had caused her. Draco couldn't afford to do it again. Hermione only had one life and he needed her in his own life. He had to control his temper. He had to change, for her.

* * *

**I know this chapter was short. I'm sorry! I'll try to make the next one longer. Let me know what you think please!**


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